Past and Present
by Llayth
Summary: Santa Carla Undead #4 In the final Santa Carla Undead story, the past always catches up with the present. It surprises, it chases and sooner or later, one has no choice but to face it. (AlanXOC)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost Boys. OCs, however, do belong to me.**

 **Hope everyone has had a great summer. :) Here's the final story for Santa Carla Undead. Really hope you enjoy it! As usual, updates will be every Saturday unless I've pre-warned everyone it's changed.**

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 **South Philadelphia, 1970**

Marko had passed many buildings around South Philadelphia that should have triggered those lost human memories. But he had wandered past South Philadelphia High School without even a glance, unable to remember the school he had once attended, or rather, quite poorly attended. He had frowned a little bit when touring 9th Street and viewing the wonders of the Italian Market. He had stopped opposite one stall that sold Italian wine but it had been a mere fleeting glance before he followed his pack through the rest of the market. It was only when they stopped at the corner of a street that Marko began to get flashing images of the city around him. He had been hanging near a shop, stopping for a cigarette as he observed the humans, relishing the differing and lingering scents of each one. His mind wandered back to the Italian Market they had come out of and he suddenly swore out loud.

"Hey, that was the Italian Market," Marko said. He glanced back at Paul, David, and Dwayne. "And we're in South Philly."

David took a long drag of his cigarette as he raised an eyebrow at Marko. "You've only just noticed? We've been here for two days, Marko."

"No," Marko said but he smirked at David and held a finger up at his friend's snarky remark. "I meant I know South Philadelphia. I came from here."

He remembered that particular stall he had stopped by. At the time he was unsure of why he had stopped. The table was filled with wine that didn't interest him. But now he could see the stall differently. The wine was replaced by food. Biscotti, anginetti, cannoli… all homemade and baked to perfection by a woman who Marko remembered to have grey hair and a cheery, round face. He couldn't quite pinpoint who she was though…

"You never told us you were from South Philly," Paul said, slapping his buddy on the back.

"I never tell people anything," he said. "And I'd forgotten."

"Then we need to go somewhere else," David said.

"C'mon, David. Just a look around," Marko said and Dwayne shook his head at the curious vampire, who was still considered to be relatively new to eternal life.

"Not a wise move," Dwayne said. "It's not been long since you turned. Or since we found you running away from home. Your family will still be alive and if they recognise you, there'll be trouble."

"We'll let Max know before he settles on a house," David said and led the way down the market again. They passed the same stall, another image flashing through Marko's head as he took one last look at it. That same woman appeared, this time smiling as a boy next to her took money from a customer. A curly haired boy, short for his age, looking like butter wouldn't melt. When the woman wasn't looking, he sneakily took a biscotti, only to be slapped on the hand and she sternly held out her hand for him to pay her.

 _Nonnina,_ he thought. Now he remembered her. Sort of. The memories were still hazy and there were still things he could not quite recall. But he knew this small, old woman was related him. He knew he called her 'nonnina'.

"Bud, why d'ya keep saying nonnina in your head?" Paul asked, turning back to him. David and Dwayne stopped ahead, both glancing back. David remained blank faced but Dwayne couldn't help frown. He kept glancing to the end of the market and back to Marko.

"My grandmother," Marko said. "That's what I used to call her. She had a stall here. I think I used to help out."

"Sometimes you'll get memories. Quick flashes of one. I told you, it's easy to forget things when you're a vampire," David said.

"I don't feel like I care though," Marko said.

"Being a vampire is being detached to humans. Even if you're related to them," the eldest vampire explained. "We just… stop caring."

"Humans become food," Dwayne added. "Nothing else."

"You turned me though," Marko pointed out to David as they continued walking. He gestured to Paul and Dwayne. "You turned all of us. We were all given Max's blood."

"Humans are food," David said, repeating Dwayne's words. "But sometimes there are humans who are too interesting to become a night's meal. And if they're running from something they're even more interesting." He grinned at Marko. "I like to think I have the power to offer a new life and fresh start for a lost soul." Then he slapped his newest recruit on the back, turning to Paul who was just as young as Marko in vampire terms. Paul chuckled and lit two cigarettes, passing one to Dwayne and the two eldest vampires shared a grin.

"I think I chose well. This is a good pack," David said.

Marko welcomed a cigarette off Paul, taking in a long drag. He got another pat off Paul, laughing with him as they strolled through South Philadelphia. The night sky was clear tonight but human eyes wouldn't have been able to pick out the stars in the sky. But Marko could. He could see them clearly, all white and flickering. It was the middle of summer and the streets were packed with residents and tourists, practically an all-you-could-eat buffet for him and his pack. He kept scanning the crowds, catching sight of the people with the most appealing blood and wondering which delicious smelling human he was going to have for a snack tonight. If he was lucky, somebody would have pissed him off by now. Taken advantage of his looks and height and tried to have a go at him. There was nothing more satisfying than going after a human who had insulted him, assumed that he would be a meek thing just because he was the shortest in the pack and looked like a skinny, choir boy. A human had actually said to his face before.

 _I wonder if all his body parts were ever found,_ Marko thought, reflecting back on the kill with a smirk on his face.

"Can we at least eat first?" Marko asked, suddenly feeling fire in his throat. "Might as well enjoy the local food before leaving."

Despite the shooting spasms in his stomach, a painful reminder that it was time to feed, he straightened up and started walking down the street, turning quickly into an alley between two shops. It was deserted, long enough to be away from prying eyes and after a quick glance around the boys took off into the sky, disappearing quickly into the clouds. Marko led the way to Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, an area that had become a quick favourite to hunt. They landed near Meadow Lake, a spot that was surprisingly deserted. With the cool night and the dark sky reflecting and glistening in the water, the boys would have thought more couples would be out here. But it was quiet. The first night in two days where they would have to wait around and see if anyone appeared.

Luckily, victims soon appeared. Unluckily, there were only two.

A couple in their late twenties were hurrying through the park. They talked loudly to one another, the woman waving her hands about wildly as she spoke. Her voice was high, urgent.

"Just two," David said.

"Bag it," Marko said quickly and David followed him. They both grinned at Paul and Dwayne, the former groaning loudly but Dwayne merely rolled his eyes.

"Fine, we'll try elsewhere," Dwayne said and nudged Paul to follow him back up into the sky. Marko laughed as he watched his two pack members fly away to search for another spot. He tugged on his jacket and smirked at David before nodding to the humans coming closer. David allowed the young vampire to led them, casually strolling behind Marko with his hands clasped behind him. He walked straight and proud while Marko strutted in front. They made their way straight over to the human couple who quickened their pace as soon as they saw the two vampires.

It was as the human couple came closer Marko began to slow down, soon ending up behind David. He frowned, staring at the man and woman as they came closer. The woman he ignored but the man disturbed him. He had the same curly blonde hair, a shade or two darker than Marko's. The face was familiar too. He wasn't quite sure where he had seen the human before but he knew that face. Those sleepy eyes and small mouth. The long, hooked nose.

"Like looking in a mirror," David muttered, raising an eyebrow as his glance switched between Marko and this human boy.

"Mirror?" Marko asked.

The man stepped forward. " _Marko?_ "

The vampire stepped back, leaning away from the man who had begun to lean in closer, narrowing his eyes as he observed Marko.

"You know me?" Marko asked.

"Marko, it's me… Leo."

"Who?"

" _Leo._ " His tone was clipped this time. He took another sudden step towards Marko, close enough to start glaring down at him. Marko scowled back, feeling a growl rumble in his throat. Being towered over was almost threatening, even if he was a vampire. It was a move he didn't take kindly to.

"What the fuck are you playing at?" Leo asked and the woman grabbed his shoulder.

"Babe, our _son_ ," she said.

"Who the fuck are you?" Marko asked.

"Are you serious? What kind of joke are you pulling? You just take off like that, putting Mom and Dad through hell –."

"Mom and Dad?"

"What is wrong with you?" Leo growled. "Quit acting like you don't know me."

Marko was about to say he didn't. But it quickly clicked in his head what was happening and as soon as it did, the memories came. Mostly ones that involved a lot of shouting. By Marko and a much older man and woman.

"Leo…" Marko repeated and he nodded. "I get it. You're my brother."

His older brother bared his teeth. "Did you forget?"

"Yeah, I actually did." Marko chuckled, casually waving his loss of memories away. "I've forgotten a lot of things."

"You dick," Leo snapped. While he spat his words out, speaking through his teeth, there were tears in his eyes. "When you ran away, Mom and Dad were distraught."

There was a flash of another argument in Marko's mind. One where an older man, also blonde and curly haired, gestured to paintings around the room. A younger Marko stood near the doorway, his face twisted in a scowl as he listened to this man's rants on how art was a waste of time.

"From what I remember, my old man was controlling and pushy," Marko said. He shrugged casually. "Got in my way."

"Still no reason to put them through that torment. They thought you were dead."

Marko smirked. "Not quite."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Leo!" The woman next to Marko's brother grabbed his arm again. She turned to Marko and David. "We can't discuss this now. Something's happened. Can you help us?" She frowned in Leo's direction before she was crying again and she started looking around the park again.

"And what do you need help with?" David asked.

"Our son. He's gone missing."

"Oh dear," David said, his tone flat.

"We were just walking near the park. We were getting ready to cross the road but he disappeared." The woman looked around again. "He loves the park. He wanted to come in but we told him no. We had to go home."

Marko looked at Leo who had been snapped back into reality. His anger had faded, replaced with nervous lip biting and rubbing at the back of his neck. His watery eyes glimmered.

"It's dangerous for a kid to be out in the park at night," Marko said. "You never know who's lurking around."

"God, you don't even sound like you care!" Leo shouted. "That is your nephew, you know. But then again, you're the little brother who did a disappearing act. Eight years, Marko. You've been gone for eight years." He suddenly frowned again, eyes moving up and down as he took in his long lost brother's appearance. "You still look so young."

Marko raised his hand to his lips, smirking behind his fingers. "I age well."

"Please," the woman said, turning back to Marko and David. "Can you help us find our son?"

"Actually, it's probably best your son stays missing," David spoke up. He now stepped forward, the corners of his eyes creasing as he smirked at the woman. He turned to Marko. "I'm afraid we're going to have to sort this mess out."

Marko nodded. He had been staring at a blue vein on his brother's throat and he shrugged, dropping his hand from his mouth.

"Well, can't be discovered and have this fun taken away, can I?"

Leo took hold of his girlfriend's hand, suddenly feeling a chill down his spine as he watched his brother and his strange friend closely. Both boys had their eyes on them, focused and locked… on their throats. Leo raised his hand to the skin on his neck, gulping when Marko and David took a step closer.

"Marko –."

"Sorry, Leo. We probably had a good relationship. I can't exactly remember all the reasons I ran away but you're not part of those little memories I have left. I think it was mainly Dad. But things have kinda changed. Whatever relationship we had doesn't matter anymore."

Leo was moving his girlfriend behind him, stepping back every time the two vampires walked closer. It was almost becoming a game. Marko, at one point, had taken two steps forward, chuckling when Leo and his chick did the same. But now David was moving swiftly, quick to circle around the humans. They were in the middle of the vampires, almost back to back.

"What are you doing?" Leo's girlfriend asked. She squeezed her boyfriend's hand.

Marko allowed his eyes to glow, turning from blue to amber. He laughed as his brother's eyes widened and he backed into his girlfriend. Fear smelt and tasted so much better when it developed slowly and Marko made sure of that. There was horror in his brother when his eyes changed. But it grew stronger as he slowly changed his features. After his eyes had changed colour his smirk widened, his gums aching as his teeth lengthened into sharp points. That's when the screaming began from the humans. David had hurried his transformation, leering at Leo's girlfriend with his facial features completely altered. Showing his demonic appearance all at once.

"Marko, we need to feed now."

The young vampire gave a sigh but obeyed David's request. His skin prickled as bones shifted, cheekbones sharpened and defined. Forehead drooped, lumpy over his hooded eyes. His brother was barely able to take in Marko's appearance. He was right in front of Leo now, clawed hand wrapping around the back of his neck. Leo's scream was caught in his throat as Marko stretched his mouth open and dug his fangs into the skin, breaking through and rupturing a vein straight away. Leo's girlfriend was already limp in David's arms, hands and legs dangling lifelessly as the eldest vampire drank greedily from her throat.

"We'll need to leave tonight," David said, dropping the dead woman to the ground. She lay like a crumpled doll, still and silent with no life whatsoever. Leo was next to her, eyes shut with an almost peaceful expression. As if his death had been completely merciful. Marko studied his dead brother, now taking in how much he had aged. From those brief, dream-like memories, he could remember a baby faced young man in his early twenties. Always trying to be the reasonable middle man between two tempered males. A sixteen year old Marko and their forty-something father. Now Leo looked quite rugged, especially around the chin that was covered in short, blonde whiskers. There were already flashes of grey through his hair.

"I wonder where his son is," Marko said. He closed his eyes, trying to sense the tiniest of heartbeats, an indicator that another human might be nearby. But the park was silent. The only humans around were the dead ones lying on the grass.

"Unless you want to wait around and reunite the family, we need to dispose of these bodies." He bent down, scooping the woman up in his arms and he frowned at Marko. "I'm afraid it had to be done. He wouldn't have let you disappear again. Not with how angry he seemed."

"Oh, I get it," Marko said, shrugging lightly. "Shit will happen if vampires are exposed to the world. And I guess it was easier to get rid of these two than deal with a whole family."

"That's good you understand," David said. "Family can get in the way sometimes. Especially if the vampire still feels that attachment."

"Honestly, I think I detached myself the day I ran away. And that was when I was human." He picked up his brother, tossing him over his shoulder. "Whatever relationship I had with my parents wasn't a good one… at least, as soon I had my own ideas on what I wanted to do with my life."

Meadow Lake looked stunning at night. If Marko had been human he would have been visiting this very spot with his sketchbook and paints. And maybe he had done that in his old human life. Now it was perfect for a different thing. To dispose of dead bodies. David and Marko found large rocks that they stuffed in the couple's bloody coats and watched the corpses sink down when the boys tossed them in. They weren't too fussed if any of these victims bobbed back up or were discovered after a while. Rather than two noticeable puncture marks in the necks, all these victims throats had been torn apart in the boys' thirst. More like the work of a serial killer slashing throats open rather than the tidy holes of a vampire's bite.

"We need to go," David said and took off into the sky with Marko following behind him.

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 **Thank you for reading. If you wish to leave a comment or follow/favourite, please feel free to. That would be very much appreciated. I'll post Chapter One up on Saturday. :) See you then!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the last chapter and thank you to everyone who has favourited/followed the story.**

 **Raindrop: Thank you! ^^ Yep, I do indeed have plans for that son. :)**

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With a large amount of missing teens in Santa Carla, all presumed dead, Bonnie had heard countless times how it was wrong for parents to outlive their children. That no parent should see their son or daughter being dropped into an empty grave, hidden away in a sealed coffin.

But this still felt wrong. Standing above her mother's grave, watching her father toss in a rose on the coffin. Surviving your children was awful. But it was just as upsetting being eighteen and seeing her mother being buried. Knowing that her corpse lay in that coffin and knowing that this was it. The final goodbye.

Bonnie twirled her rose in her hand, staring at it turning in her fingertips. Her eyes were sore, having cried countless times since she saw her mother's coffin enter the church. She cried at the readings. Her father's speech. Every single second. Now she was looking at the rose and she felt those tears prickle at her eyes again. She sniffed, feeling her father's hand clamp down on her shoulder and give it a reassuring squeeze. Wordlessly, she stepped forward. Two steps closer to the grave. She wanted to look away, avert her eyes elsewhere because it felt wrong to look. But there was a compulsion forcing her to. She leaned forward, staring down at the coffin. Then her eyes glanced at Edgar and Sam who stood to the side. Their families were behind them. Edgar's Aunt Pam and Uncle Gerry who both stayed quiet but Aunt Pam looked blotchy. Mr and Mrs Frog had also attended, looking presentable for the first time and aware of what was happening around them. Mrs Frog met Bonnie's eyes and she smiled sympathetically, the corners of her bloodshot eyes creasing.

Lucy stood behind Sam, not hiding her tears. One hand dabbed a tissue to her eyes while the other gripped Sam's shoulder. Beside her, Sam's Grandpa stood, silent and frowning. His eyes closed briefly, and he gave a small shake of his head. Michael and Star had decided to attend too. Star clung on to him, arm wrapped around his, fingers entwining and she leaned her head against his shoulder. She too looked at Bonnie and tried to smile.

Bonnie looked away, feeling eyes on her. She could tell what her family and friends were thinking. Sympathetic thoughts. How she shouldn't have to be going through this. What a poor girl. How awful.

She took a deep breath and tossed the rose into the grave. It landed on top of her father's and she stepped back, biting at her lower lip. A couple of tears had pried their way out of her eyes and she reached for her father's hand.

When the crowds began to disperse, ready to head for the wake, Edgar and Sam finally came over. Sam immediately wrapped his arms around Bonnie who buried her head in his shoulder and let a tiny sob escape.

"We're gonna beat this," Sam whispered.

She sniffed, pulling away. That was all Sam had been saying in the past two weeks. Even despite what had been happening, he remained positive. It had gotten to a point where the words he uttered had become a catchphrase for him. Whatever else happened, they would beat it.

Bonnie wished she could have Sam's optimism. But all she could do was cry into his shoulder, thinking of the reason her mother was dead.

Marko.

That curly haired biker she took interest in last summer and vice versa. Wild, mysterious, and cheeky, Bonnie had been smitten on the guy. Then he had killed two people in front of her, showing that his appearance was only a disguise to hide a demonic face with razor sharp fangs.

She hadn't known until it was too late that Marko was more than a nineteen year old troublemaker. He was evil incarnate. Part of a gang of vampires that roamed the streets of Santa Carla, their broken mess of a town that was more famous for deaths and missing people than the tourist sights. That gang was long dead… apart from Marko.

She glanced back at the grave. His revenge for the deaths of his pack members. Killing her mother was only one small part of his ideal revenge.

The other parts were personally targeting Bonnie and her friends. Their own Monster Squad that had spent eight months becoming a match for the vampires that roamed Santa Carla. Now three of them were vampires. Two full vampires and one half vampire. Their gang had been split in half, forced into opposite sides.

"I hope so," she said, pulling away. Edgar didn't step forward for a hug but settled for the closest gesture of comfort that he was able to make. He patted her shoulder gently, three slow times and she smiled at him. That was the best she was going to get from Edgar Frog and she appreciated it. At least he tried.

"We thought we'd hunt tonight," he said, tilting his head to Sam. "A proper hunt for any bloodsucker we come across this time."

"Logan isn't calling us for a Marko and Charlotte hunt?" Bonnie asked and Edgar's shoulder gave a little quiver at the mention of the vampire's name.

"Thankfully not tonight," Edgar muttered. "You know, I actually wish Marko and Charlotte would just turn up and get on with things. Then we could kill them and we wouldn't have to be working with Logan and his… pack."

Bonnie watched Edgar stuff his hands into his pockets, frown lines creasing in his forehead. She knew he was thinking of two people when he mentioned Logan's pack. Even though they were all, albeit reluctantly, working together to get rid of Marko and Charlotte it hit home to Edgar every time they teamed up with Logan or even mentioned his pack. Two of his members included Edgar's younger brother and their former friend.

Today, Bonnie was going through the worst day of her life. And while it would be hard to adjust to and there would be days that would trigger that emotional wave of tears, Bonnie couldn't imagine how tough it was going to be for Edgar. Seeing Alan as one of them, unable to do anything about it, must be ripping pieces of his heart up each time. It ripped hers up whenever she saw Alan and Bernice with them, looking like her friends but showing signs that they weren't human anymore. The way they moved, talked, the eerie paleness of their skin…

"I might have to pass tonight, guys," she said.

"Of course," Sam said. "You need to be with your family."

She threw her arms around Sam for another hug. "Be careful. Both of you."

Edgar nodded at her. "Same to you. They might target you tonight if you're not with us."

"I'm prepared," she said. "And I need to see if Bridget calls tonight. I haven't heard from her in two days. She's usually called every night."

"Maybe something's happened," Sam said. "Like a good something. She could have found the cure."

"Then again, maybe that something is bad," Edgar added. "Like she's given in."

"She hasn't," Sam insisted.

He received two different reactions. A smile from Bonnie, one that was grateful and hung onto his hope. After everything they had been going through, especially her, Sam figured a bit of faith in Bridget and the situation overall was exactly what Bonnie needed to keep going. He knew it helped him. It helped when he thought he would lose his older brother, Michael, to vampires and it was helping him deal with this current vampire threat.

Edgar, however, closed his eyes and sighed. "Sam…"

"Ed, I need to stay positive. If I'm going to keep doing this, I need to stay hopeful that something good is going to happen for us. We're going to beat this."

There was no argument from his friend. Instead Edgar shrugged and glanced at Bonnie. "Keep an eye out for Marko and Charlotte tonight," he said and began to walk away. Sam followed him, waving at Bonnie and she smiled at the boys, watching them disappear from the cemetery with their families before joining her father.

* * *

Bonnie dropped her bag on her bed and collapsed face down on it. She felt the mattress bob up and down before gradually settling and she turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling. The room was dim, slowly darkening as the night sky made its appearance. She leaned back into her bed, trying to glance at the fading streaks of orange, disappearing into blackness. With a sigh, she got up and went over to the curtains to draw them, groaning at a familiar spasm of pain that was starting to shoot through her legs. She gritted her teeth, reluctantly reaching for her crutches to help her walk over.

When the phone rang, she hastily whirled around, swaying and wobbling as she did so and almost hopped to answer it.

"I got it!" Bonnie shouted before her father could reach the one in the living room. She settled back on her bed, letting her crutches drop and held the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"

"Um… hey."

Bonnie sighed in relief at Bridget's voice, running a hand through her copper hair. In the doorway of her bedroom, her father peered in.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Oh, just a friend from school. Asking how everything went," Bonnie lied and her father smiled.

"That's nice of them," he said and made sure he closed the door before he walked away, allowing Bonnie her privacy.

"Oh my freaking God, it's good to hear your voice!" she breathed out. "You haven't called in two days!"

"Sorry." Bonnie frowned at the lack of emotion in Bridget's voice. She made her apology sound so automated, like she was only saying it for the sake of things. Not because she truly was sorry. But If Bridget had turned fully in these last two days, Bonnie doubted that her friend would be calling at all. She had to remind herself that Bridget had been a half vampire for two weeks now. After experiencing herself how quickly the mind changed with vampire blood she could imagine how far gone her friend's state of mind might be by now.

"We've been worried," Bonnie said. "Edgar thought you might have… you know."

"Fed?" There was a wry snort on the other side of the line. "Yeah, I'm well aware of Edgar's lack of faith. I'm still half human… sort of."

"Not feeling great then?"

There was a desperate groan. " _Bonnie, I'm so hungry_. I thought if I stole packets of blood from the hospital that would keep me going but it's not settling anything. At least not for long."

"It sounds like it's just making the hunger worse. In a way, you've tasted human blood and it's just making you want fresh. Maybe you should stop altogether," Bonnie suggested.

"But I get thirsty," Bridget argued.

"Have you found anything yet?" Bonnie asked, steering away from the bickering they were about to have.

"No. I've read a ton of vampire books from the library and there's nothing about another cure. Talks a lot on how to kill vampires though." Bridget paused to huff down the phone. "Makes you real fucking optimistic."

"And what about the comic guy?"

"I've been in travelling around San Diego for two nights now. Nothing. San Diego is _huge._ "

"Maybe you should come home. We'll help you," Bonnie suggested.

There was a pause from Bridget. A hesitation that made Bonnie's stomach churn.

"You can't help me," Bridget said.

"Yes, we can. If there's only one way to become human again –."

"Bonnie, I wouldn't let you," Bridget interrupted, and quite abruptly too. Bonnie noticed her friend's tone was clipped. "And I also wouldn't risk upsetting the rest of the vampire pack. They're keeping Marko and Charlotte away."

"Away," Bonnie repeated and scoffed. "They haven't been doing much in the way of killing Marko and Charlotte. Even though none of us have seen them since all this shit happened."

"Well, two vampires against a pack of four and three vampire hunters? Odds are kinda against them. But they are being too quiet. Not a good sign."

Bonnie nodded. "So what are they up to? That's the freaking worrying question." She frowned as she heard Bridget whimper on the other side of the phone. "Bridget, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," her friend whispered, gasping once. She was silent as she breathed in and out heavily for a few seconds.

"You're having hunger pains," Bonnie said and sighed. "Brid, can't I come and find you? I won't try and bring you back home. I'll stay and help you."

"No," Bridget snapped. "I'm worried I'll do something."

Bonnie clung onto the phone. "Have you… been doing something?"

There was another hesitation from her friend and Bonnie shut her eyes. It was hard to have faith in Bridget when her friend sounded so terrible and distant. She could hear how much Bridget wheezed. Her voice was raspy from dryness. A dryness Bonnie herself remembered far too well. The thirst made your stomach twist and your throat flare up as if on fire. It was suffocating, painful, and too easy to give in and soothe it.

"Nearly," Bridget said. "A couple of times."

There were tears in Bonnie's eyes. "I can't lose you too."

"I'm trying. Bonnie, I really am trying."

Bridget's voice was breaking now. Cracking as she spoke and it only made Bonnie's tears spill down her cheeks. She hated hearing this terrified vulnerability in her friend's voice. Bridget was always the confident one. The one with a feisty edge that didn't take any bullshit. She took her problems head on, facing it with courage and determination, because she hated having dilemmas. Nothing was allowed to fuck with her.

She was almost a completely different person now. She sounded young, scared and was most likely feeling quite detached from humanity.

"I have to go. Need to do some more searching." She gave a little snort. "Keep stalking the comic book stores around these parts."

"Keep in touch," Bonnie said.

"To let you know I'm still human?"

"You'd be wanting the same."

Bridget sighed. "Yeah. Okay, I'll call you soon." She hung up without a proper goodbye, leaving Bonnie to stare at the receiver before slowly setting it down on her phone. She felt ready to pack a bag and leave for the next bus out of Santa Carla and towards San Diego. Whatever hope she tried to hang on to disappeared during that conversation with Bridget. She wanted to stay positive but it sounded like they were about to lose their friend any second.

Rubbing at her aching leg, Bonnie hung her head and tried to fight back tears. She felt herself falling backwards, letting herself lie back down onto her bed where she shuffled into a foetal position and slowly gave into exhaustion.

* * *

It had been a while since Alan had roamed the hallways of his old high school. It was still the same, creaky building. An ugly beige exterior with floor upon floor, every classroom the same layout and plenty of posters up on behaviour and school expectations.

He had found his old homeroom, going straight to his usual spot. The seat was always the same in every class he was in. Right at the back, left corner. If possible, he always sat next to the window. Always wanting something to look out of.

He wandered, not really having a particular destination in mind. He simply wanted to walk around. Becoming a full vampire had been a confusing experience and it still was. Before, when he was human, he assumed the first kill washed away every single piece of his humanity and soul. That it happened automatically. One minute the person's a tortured half vampire, trying to resist the hunger but the next they became a demon. Soulless. Evil.

Alan didn't feel evil. And even now he wasn't going around like David's pack did. Fighting, marking territory, killing people for fun. He killed for survival. That's all it was really about. Making sure he fed so he didn't starve.

He knew who he had been before turning. He had memories, even if some were dream-like. Maybe it was because he had stayed near his brother that the connection was still strong. But he knew that sometimes he missed the way things used to be. How everything didn't seem complicated last summer. And now everyone was split up. On different sides. Their close knit group had been destroyed and that had left a small, empty space.

His footsteps echoed down the halls. His wandering had taken him to the third floor. That was a memory he had already lost. As he walked, he tried to rack his mind, thinking about the classes he had up here. He frowned, slowing his pace as he attempted to figure out which rooms he had been in. Which subjects he had wanted to take as a junior.

He still sauntered and frowned, even as Charlotte appeared in the hallway. Her heels clicked against the floorboards. A slow, steady pace until they stopped.

"Reminiscing?" she asked and a snort followed. "Why? High school was a breeding ground for shitheads. Most of the students here made us both miserable."

"I don't care about revenge," Alan said, turning to face her. This time last year Charlotte was a mousy girl who hid behind a curtain of pale blonde hair and unflattering, baggy clothes. But as her obsession for Alan grew, so did her interest in appearances. She held herself high as a vampire. Blonde hair pulled away from her pale face. She had begun to wear skirts, this one blue and stopped just above her knees. Her tops were tighter, hugging the curves on her body. She smiled at Alan, shrugging on her denim jacket.

"Remember, you're the obsessive one that can't let go," he added.

"Says the guy who keeps visiting Bonnie to ask about his pathetic girlfriend. Guess what, Alan? She left. You turned her and she didn't want it. She's been a vampire hunter for too long. You're a disgusting, soulless monster and she doesn't want anything to do with you."

He felt the points of his fangs nip his lower lip. But he stayed put. Charlotte was angry. Her transition into a vampire had brought out an ugly side in her that had probably been festering away inside as a human. What had started out as a high school crush on him had become a possessive and jealous infatuation. A twisted belief that he belonged to her. He didn't share her crush and as a result she ended up loathing the girl he actually did like.

"What are you doing here? Stalking me?" Alan asked.

Charlotte laughed. "Guess what? I don't actually think about you twenty-four seven. I've been playing."

"Hey!"

A boy came staggering up to them. Alan was sure he recognised the face. Long and pointed with shaggy blonde hair. He held his neck and the scent caught Alan's attention. He had fed earlier, no longer feeling the thirst but the copper smell still had him fixed. Blood had stained the boy's white shirt yet he had a wide grin on his face as he pointed at Charlotte and Alan, despite the fact that blood was trickling down his hand.

"Frog!"

Alan folded his arms, raising an eyebrow and mastering his usual poker-face. "Do I know you?"

Charlotte gestured to him. "Forgotten him? Yeah, I totally did at first. It's Oliver. Oliver Tate." She leaned forward. "Snobby rich guy. He was in our American Literature class. Wasn't with the jocks but he was an ass in his own little clique. He and a few of the other rich jerks liked to insult us. You know, because we were the poor kids. Well, _I_ was the poor kid. You were the poor kid who also had the junkie parents."

She laughed and turned to Oliver, taking his hand. Her other one reached out to grasp his chin and she stared him dead in the eye.

"You're still having fun," she said.

He grinned yet his eyes seemed to glaze over. "Yeah, lots of fun. You're still going to turn me?"

"Playing games?" Alan asked.

"I love this whole mind control thing," she said with a small giggle. "I've had him wrapped around my finger all night. He'll do anything I tell him to do." Her smile faded, eyes shining with hatred. "Serves him right for all the shit he's said to me in the past."

Alan shook his head. "You're petty. Just go ahead and kill him. What's the point in turning him?"

"Why do you and Charlotte get to have all the fun?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah, Alan. He wants to be like us. Let him have fun," Charlotte said, winking at him.

"You're not turning him," Alan said with a growl. He stepped forward. "You want numbers. You and Marko. More and more people have been going missing or being found dead. This is getting dangerous."

"Maybe if Logan had helped Marko the way he should, we all wouldn't be in this mess."

"You're both going to get vampires exposed."

He rushed forward, using his speed to appear behind Oliver. Charlotte wasn't fast enough to react as Alan took hold of Oliver's head and jerked it to the side. They both heard the crack of bone and Oliver was falling down, sinking to the floor still and silent. And for a few seconds everything continued to be silent before Charlotte growled and stepped backwards.

"You're ruining my fun," she snapped.

"You ruined my _life_ ," he argued, advancing. "I'm a vampire thanks to you –."

"Stop complaining. You've got no problem killing –."

"You almost killed Bridget!"

Charlotte clicked her tongue. "Well, the bitch needs to stop going around stealing boyfriends."

" _I wasn't your boyfriend!_ "

He was right in front of her now, eye to eye with his fangs bared and revealing the demon behind his human face. She stared back, mouth straight but there were daggers in her eyes as he shouted and growled at her.

"You had a crush and you couldn't deal that I didn't feel the same way. Instead you got pissed because I liked someone else. Someone who isn't a crazy, obsessive bitch. And it doesn't matter what happens, Bridget's always going to matter to me. It's never going to be _you_."

There had been tears in Charlotte's eyes as he yelled. Turned his anger into spiteful, harsh words and she had begun to turn away. But as he finished, there was growling. A slow, low rumble that grew louder until she screamed out and whirled back around, stretching out her arms. Her hands pushed against him, using all her strength to shove him. He felt the ground disappear from his feet. Flying towards the floor, down the corridor. He crashed down on the cold, hard floor, sliding until he finally came to a stop. Looking up, Charlotte stood with her head high, feet apart and her mouth twisted into a snarl.

"I hope Bridget decides to kill herself. I hope she hates vampires so much, she'll _never_ want to take that final step. If I can't have you, fine. But you don't get to have _her_. You get to see her waste away and die, knowing that she hated what you turned her into."

Screeching echoed through the corridors and she was no longer anywhere to be seen, leaving Alan and the corpse of Oliver Tate in darkness and silence.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review. :) Chapter 2 will be up next Saturday.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter. Huge thanks to lillisa for reviewing! :)**

* * *

The comic store had always been a sort of safe haven for Edgar. Since he was given a job by Uncle Gerry, it was the only place he ever felt comfortable in. Surrounded by the superheroes he had grown up with, working behind the counter… it was all familiar and safe. It was the place he and Alan could turn to when the knowledge of their parents' drug abuse had become too much to handle. In some respects, it was still that haven. It served as a distraction now for Edgar's hunting. It was nice to sell comics or sneakily read them if the shop wasn't too busy, taking his mind away from the current vampire situation or, in the past, school.

But even still, sometimes Edgar would be haunted by the missing presence of his brother, especially when he saw the missing poster of Alan. He felt his throat close up every time he looked up and saw the photographs of Alan, Bridget and Bernice on the columns near the shelves.

While he checked inventory, two women had come in with a pile of posters in their hands. Straight away, they had come to Edgar asking desperately if they had seen the missing people.

Edgar frowned at he took hold of two posters and glanced at the strangers with a sharp nod.

"I'll put them up. And… I'm sorry," he said to the women. He sighed as they smiled back and walked out, talking quietly to each other. Both had come in separately to hand out a poster. Now, both left the shop with an unfortunate thing in common: a missing child.

Edgar looked down at the posters. He didn't recognise either of them, both the girl and boy who had gone missing were nineteen. Students from the Santa Carla Community College. Gritting his teeth he reluctantly made his way around the counter and towards one of the columns in the shop. He stood there silently for a while, frowning again as he tried to find some space for these two posters. The board was especially full at the moment, covered in missing people. These students were the tenth and eleventh to go missing recently. There was barely any space for the latest victims so he placed them over the faces of a young couple who had been missing for three months now. As he stuck them up, he couldn't help freeze up when saw Bridget, Alan and Bernice staring back at him. He would have thought after two weeks he would be getting used to seeing these particular posters. He knew they weren't really missing but despite this knowledge it always made his stomach churn when he saw Bernice, Bridget and Alan as three of the latest locals to disappear.

"More for the missing board?"

Edgar felt his jaw twitch and he glared over at the entrance. Logan came in with a smirk plastered on his face. His typical expression. Before the vampire hunter could say or do anything, Logan was by his side, peering over his shoulder to stare at the two college students.

"Recognise them?" Edgar asked through his teeth.

"You mean have I killed them? Or has any of my pack killed them?" Logan asked and he stepped back. Edgar spun around to face the tall vampire, not afraid to keep his jaw set and eyes narrowed as he looked up at Logan.

"No. I don't recognise them. Just like I haven't recognised the others who have disappeared recently," Logan said and smirked again. "Apart from those three."

He chuckled as he pointed to the posters of Bernice, Bridget and Alan.

"Be careful," Edgar muttered. When he turned, he made sure to purposely bump into Logan's shoulder and march back to the counter.

"Still a touchy subject, kid?" Logan followed him back to the counter where he leaned against it, resting both his elbows on the glass.

"You turned my brother into a vampire," Edgar spat out, leaning forward to glare at Logan. "It's gonna be a touchy subject for a long time."

"Well, he's not complaining. When do you close for the night? I think we need to do a search. All these missing people and dead bodies are making me suspicious."

Edgar scoffed. "Some of these missing people are thanks to you and your pack of bloodsuckers."

"I told you. We've been making sure to feed outside of Santa Carla and I don't recognise any of these humans. Look…" He gestured to the number of posters. "Notice how many have gone missing in a short space of time? It's possible for vampires to go at least one night without having to feed. Too many people have disappeared or been found dead in such a short space of time."

"So what are you saying?"

"Someone is gathering as many humans as possible to turn."

"Someone as in Marko."

"Exactly," Logan said. "That sap needs numbers. With my pack and your hunters, we're too many for him and Charlotte to take on by themselves. So they need more vampires on their side. That means more missing people who are all probably vampires now and more dead bodies because they're being too obvious and not getting rid of their kills. I'm on your side for this one, kid. I need this to end."

Edgar raised an eyebrow. "So you don't get exposed."

"Of course," Logan said, grinning. "This is our lead for Marko. Or an idiot vampire who is in danger of exposing us. Either way, a good hunt for you and your little hunter gang."

"We're not your hit-men," Edgar said. "If we're going on a hunt for you, it's to find Marko and Charlotte. Not to go staking any other vampire you find a threat. Got that? As soon as this is all over, you and your pack are getting the fuck out of Santa Carla. You, Ruby, Alan and Bernice. I never want to see any of you again."

"This back-fired on me. I admit that," Logan said and raised a finger, pointing it straight at Edgar. "But maybe this is a lesson. Be careful who you go around staking. Me and my father had our issues with Uncle Max but family is still family."

His flashed one last smirk before turning to leave the shop.

"I'll come back after closing time. Make sure you call up your hunters and we'll go searching."

* * *

"This is a disappointing turn out," Logan said, later that evening. Only Sam and Edgar had turned up, armed for a vampire hunt. Edgar had his usual face paint on, weapons ready to grab from his baldric if needed. Sam still refused to put any of the paint across his face and had his trusty crossbow in his hands. He noticed how Edgar stiffened, the way he always did, when he saw Alan and Bernice walking with the vampires. Alan didn't even look at his brother when the pack reached the hunters, deciding to scan the area around them instead. It was such an old, human Alan thing to do. Stand there and start observing in silence but whether he was already looking for Marko and Charlotte or for someone to eat, Sam wasn't sure. He gulped and hoped it was the former. Now he gazed flickered over to Bernice who looked just as calm as Alan. She caught his eye and even though she gave him a small smile like she usually did, Sam showed his usual disappointed frown at her. He couldn't bring himself to be friendly at all. They may all be working together to make sure Marko and Charlotte were out of the picture for good but the friendship Bernice and Alan had with Sam and Edgar, the sibling connection Edgar and Alan had, seemed dead.

"Well, there are only three of us left now," Edgar snapped, focusing his eyes on Logan. They narrowed and he made a little grunt afterwards.

"So, where's the red headed doll?" Logan asked.

"Bonnie can't hunt. She's having another relapse," Sam explained. "She's in too much pain."

"So she's no use then," Logan said and nodded at Bernice. "She might need some assistance if Marko or Charlotte pay her a visit tonight."

"Bonnie doesn't need a vampire bodyguard," Edgar argued, just as Bernice was about to fly up into the sky.

Logan shrugged. "Okay. If you're willing to risk it."

Sam sighed while Edgar continued to look like he had tasted something sour. "Fine. Bernice can be back up." When he saw Edgar glaring at him, he simply shook his head. "I don't like it either. But if those two vampires go for her tonight, there is no way she can defend herself. You saw her earlier. She was using crutches to walk. And it wouldn't be wise if one of us left. That'll be one human with four vampires. I bet Marko's waiting for a good opportunity to kill her without any obstacles."

"Your call, Frog," Logan said and Edgar swore under his breath.

"Fine. Keep an eye on her," he muttered and there was a strong wind in his face. He shut his eyes, feeling his sandy hair stir and hearing screeching in his ears. When he opened them, after the wind had died down, Bernice was gone, leaving Logan, Ruby and Alan.

"So, there have been a quite a few disappearances recently," Edgar said, raising his voice as he straightened and began to pace about. "And you guys claim it's got nothing to do with you."

"Nothing," Logan said.

"We've been feeding outside of Santa Carla," Ruby said, frowning at Edgar in annoyance.

"I'm just stating facts. No need to get snappish. Unless you really are hiding something."

"Surprise, surprise. Edgar doesn't trust anyone's word," Alan muttered.

Edgar narrowed his eyes. "Not from a bunch of leeches."

"I remember someone promising me he would stake the Head Vampire and make me human again," Alan snapped back. His eyebrow raised at his older brother. "How stupid of me to trust _his_ word."

"Boys," Logan said. "We don't have time for a sibling argument." He turned to Edgar with a scowl on his face and he folded his arms. He stepped forward to tower over Edgar, one of his favourite moves when he wanted to show off his control and power. Despite his young age at the time of his turning, Logan's height made up for his eternal sixteen year old appearance.

"Look, kid, you can stand there wondering if we're telling the truth or not about our feeding habits. My main priority is finding Marko and Charlotte before they do us or my father any harm. If all these humans were killed by me or my pack, why would I be getting you to find whose responsible? When I say I'm on your side, I mean it."

"Can we just get this hunt over with?" Sam asked after Edgar and Logan decided to stand in silence and lock eyes with each other, both pulling their best glare.

"Sam, I'd like you to take the Boardwalk and see what's happening around there. I know that used to be Marko's favourite haunt and maybe he's starting to get brave again," Logan ordered and Edgar raised a hand to stop Sam from moving.

"Sam's my hunter. I'll tell him where to go," Edgar said.

"I'm in charge, kid," Logan argued.

"The fuck you are!"

"I'll go to the Boardwalk," Sam said, sighing and rubbing at his forehead. Ruby began to follow him and she flashed a cold smile when he turned to frown at her.

"Looks like it's you and me, Brat Pack," she said.

"I told you not to call me that," he muttered, sauntering off. He made sure to keep a good distance from her as they made their way in the direction of the Boardwalk. "I'll have to drop this crossbow off in my car if I'm on Boardwalk duty."

"We'll take Downtown," Logan said to Edgar. "That's where the last two humans disappeared."

"Seems to be a lot of missing people from Downtown these days," Edgar muttered.

"It's a perfect feeding ground. Better than the Boardwalk. The whole place is full of abandoned buildings and drunken, drugged up humans. Very secluded for a feed. No-one can hear the screams."

Edgar shook his head, shutting his eyes. "I don't need to know that." He pushed past Logan, heading down the alleyway. His footsteps echoed at first but he gradually began to slow his pace, making sure he stepped carefully and silently. His hand stayed near the blunt edge of one stake, ready to grab it in case of a vampire attack.

"You're fine for now," Alan said, suddenly appearing beside him. Edgar swore, stumbling sideways. He almost staggered into the pile of rubbish near his feet but he managed to catch his balance.

"There aren't any vampires around," Alan added, with a smirk on his face. Edgar straightened up and sneered.

"Except you and Logan," Edgar muttered. "I don't need any help. Go to your own alley."

Alan raised his hands. "Excuse me for trying to help out."

"Like I said, I don't need any help from you."

Alan's brown eyes darkened. There was a flash of amber and spoke through his teeth. "Well, whose fault is it that I'm like this?"

"Yours," Edgar snapped, stopping in his tracks. "I wasn't the one who ran after a vampire by myself and got turned."

" _You_ didn't find the Head Vampire," Alan argued. "You made me feel like I was already a monster –."

" _You_ had already given up the minute you found out you were a half vampire. And you and Bridget had to go off and chase after that pack yourself. If you two hadn't done that, neither of you would be in the positions you're in now." He suddenly stopped and pointed his stake right at his brother. "I'm fed up of blaming myself. You fucked up too."

"Depends on your perspective," Alan said quietly, staring his brother right in the eye. He leaned forward, teeth bared as he spat out, "I'm glad I killed."

His grin afterwards was cold and mocking. He began walking again. Edgar, however, stayed standing, still pointing his stake at nothing in particular. He watched his younger brother continue walking, slowly twisting his mouth into another disgusted sneer.

"I can't believe you just said that. You used to care. You _loathed_ vampires but just like all the other bloodsuckers, you fell for it. You idiot," Edgar muttered, though he knew his brother's improved hearing would have picked that up. And he seemed to have done so, stopping as soon as Edgar mumbled those words and he glanced back. He was opening his mouth, either about to argue back or make another shocking comment on how much he enjoyed his new life, before he suddenly whipped his head around and a growl rumbled in his throat.

Edgar cringed at the sound Alan was making. That ferocious, animal-like growl that was another cruel reminder of his brother's lack of humanity. But then he had to think… what _was_ Alan snarling at?

He held his stake high, muscles tensing as he prepared himself mentally. Any second now another vampire might suddenly appear, maybe Marko or Charlotte, and he needed to be ready to act fast. He stepped closer to his brother, leaning so he could see Alan's face. Thankfully, his brother still looked human. Although when his brother tilted his head back and sniffed, his lips parted and Edgar saw the point of fangs.

"Vampire?" Edgar asked. He tried to focus on his surroundings, seeing if he could hear anything. But the alleyway was silent. If someone was there, human or vampire, they were too far away for Edgar to see or hear.

"No."

Alan inhaled again and a small smile crept up on his lips. When he opened his eyes they glowed yellow and he marched forward. Edgar dashed towards him, moving in front of his brother.

"If that's a human you're vamping out on, forget it," he said. "You're supposed to be…" He paused, lips pressing together as he failed to utter words that suggested Alan drinking blood.

"Not in town," he finally said and grabbed hold of his brother's shoulders. "We had an agreement."

"I'm hungry," Alan growled back. "I haven't fed yet." He peered over Edgar's shoulder at a young man, early twenties, stumbling around.

"That's your problem. How about you control yourself for once?" Edgar tightened his grip on his younger brother's shoulders but Alan had started to jerk out of his hold.

" _Alan, stop!_ Look, it doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to kill." There was desperation in the eldest brother's voice now. Tears were blurring in his eyes at the sight of Alan snarling, letting that mask of his disappear to reveal something demonic and supernatural. High, angled cheekbones. Forehead drooping down towards his nose and becoming a hood over his shadowed amber eyes. His teeth lengthened into deadly points. It was a sight that churned Edgar's stomach but he fought to keep hold of Alan. Grunting, he pushed Alan backwards into a wall, intending to trap him there until this drunken human staggered away. Unfortunately, the young man had taken a liking to the alley as he suddenly threw his hands in the air and began to sing loudly.

Alan grabbed Edgar's arms and hissed. " _Don't get in my way_."

He pushed Edgar back. But this was with a force that no human would have been able to manage. Edgar felt the strength of the push, finding himself suddenly off his feet and flying backwards into a wall opposite. His breath caught in his throat at the impact of his back slamming against the wall. There was a slap, his back stinging, and he was face down on the wet, dirty ground. He coughed and inhaled sharply before he froze at the sound of a scream. He shut his eyes but only gave himself a second of feeling grief. He had to act. Put on that vampire hunter persona and treat Alan like any other bloodsucker. Evil and deserved a stake through the heart.

Shakily, Edgar pulled himself up onto his feet. His back throbbed with every movement but he pushed his pain aside. Duty first, feel later.

He took out a stake, doing his best to move as fast as possible to his brother. The young man's screams had stopped. From the way he hung limply in Alan's arms, eyes wide open and unmoving he was already dead. Alan had been quick to rip into his throat and drain him dry. Edgar halted, feeling his grip on the stake loosen and his legs shook, feeling like they had turned into jelly.

He had never seen his brother feed before. He had never seen that first kill. And he was glad of that. This sight was a stab through the heart, ripping it into pieces. His skin turned to ice. A horrible chill that ran down his spine. Alan stood there, draining every drop of blood from the human man. He had dived in without any hesitation and worked quickly at killing his victim. Edgar gagged and clamped a hand around his mouth, listening to the desperate, greedy gulps. Alan drank as if he had been parched for weeks.

In defeat, Edgar let his hand drop and his posture slumped. He stared at the ground as Alan dropped the young man and stepped away. He raised his eyes to see his younger brother tilt his head back with a satisfied smile and Edgar sneered at the blood that trickled down his chin.

"You didn't have to kill him," he whispered.

Alan turned his head, his face human but his eyes were still yellow. He was blank, not showing any signs of remorse at killing a human. No disgust or conflict. He was one of them. A vampire through and through. There was a certain way Alan had to live now, if one could call it living, and he had settled into with a sickening ease.

"It happens," Alan said. "Whether you approve or not, I _do_ have to kill. It's as big an urge as the need for blood."

He started walking closer to Edgar until he was right in front of his brother. Edgar's nose wrinkled, smelling blood but he did his best to keep his face straight and meet Alan's eyes. The yellow had started to fade back into brown but the blood remained smeared and thick on his mouth.

"It's too late. This is how I have to survive now. If I don't, I die and that is _not happening_." Alan glanced down at the stake in Edgar's hand. "Are you going to kill me?"

Edgar's hand began to tremble. He had an opportunity and there was a part of himself that was screaming for him to take it. Alan couldn't stay like this any longer. Edgar knew that. It would be a kindness to shove that stake right through his brother's heart and end this unnatural life. Human Alan would have agreed.

But instead, Edgar dipped his head.

"I can't do it," he muttered before looking up again. "I should put you to rest. It's a curse and my brother didn't deserve that. It'll help Bridget become human again. But… I can't do it."

Edgar marched past his brother, averting his eyes when he passed the dead body. Those screams and growls still echoed in his head. But he didn't shed a tear. He held his head high and switched his focus on the rest of the hunt.

Inside, however, he was a howling wreck.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review. I'll post Chapter 3 next Saturday! :)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Raindrop:** **:)** **Thank you for your review. I'm sorry to hear that about your father. It _is_ an awful experience that no-one should go through. I lost my Grandma last year and it was the strangest, numbing thing I've ever experienced. I can imagine what it must have been like for you.  
**

 **Sadly, their brotherly relationship has had a permanent split. Whatever end result won't be a happy one but that's all I'll say for now. And it won't be the last of Marko's POV. I've squeezed in where it works (hopefully) an insight into Marko because I love exploring who he is now without a pack and so hellbent on revenge. With every other plot and sub-plot to fit in, there won't be actual flashbacks where we see the boys. I wish I could have fitted it in but someday I'd love to get this origin idea I've had in my head written out. We only got to see the boys as a pack in the first two stories and I feel like I didn't get a great chance to write about them more. I'd consider a canon focus fic of the boys in the future to make up for it. :)**

 **Thank you to everyone else who took the time to read.**

* * *

Bridget followed the motel owner up the stairs. He had given her the last room at the end, repeating quite a few times how popular his motel was during all seasons. He may have been happy to boast about it but all Bridget could do was roll her eyes and blank his proud statement out every time he mentioned it. There was a slight pang of guilt at how easily irritated she was at it and tried to force a smile on her face. Attempt to be polite and, most of all, human.

"I know it's none of my business but you seem kinda young to be wandering around like this, little lady." He glanced at her with genuine concern, frown lines creasing in his heavily wrinkled face.

Bridget folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You're right. It's none of your business."

She stepped closer and stared him right in the eye. She knew her normal blue would be changing, melting into an eerie, inhuman yellow. It didn't matter that the motel owner was seeing the unnatural glow of her eyes. He was already dazed and blank.

"You don't care how old I am," she said. "You're going to give me this room and leave me alone while I stay here."

"No of course not," he agreed, nodding and a sleepy smile crept up on his face. "Sometimes we just have to get away."

He turned the key into the lock and pushed the door open. It creaked and he flicked on the light. It took five seconds, flickering on and off at first but settled down soon enough. The owner walked in, hands clasped behind his back as if admiring the room. When Bridget peered in, she saw the same motel room she had been seeing in the all the others for the last two weeks. The furniture was simple. A bed, an open wardrobe and a small bedside table, all oak. The queen sized bed had fresh white sheets on, a colour to match the white, plain walls. She stayed at the doorway, leaning against the frame as she waited for the man to stop observing the room. Finally, he glanced back with a frown.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Am I invited in?"

"You've paid for the room. It's yours."

She looked past him and into the mirror that stood on the dresser table. She was a ghost in the mirror, nearly faded all together. With a sigh, she shook her head. Paying for a room wasn't good enough. He still owned the whole building.

"It's just rude not to ask for an invitation." She gave a shrug. "It was how I was raised."

"Oh. Well, um… come in."

A cold smile played on her lips. "Thanks."

As she took a step inside, she saw her faded reflection become clearer. Back to normal as if she were a human again.

"Yes… well…" The man cleared his throat and gestured to the room. "Anyway, it's small but it has the basics. Everything you need. Bed. A bathroom. It's just a shower I'm afraid –."

"That's fine," she said, too quickly but she was purposely interrupting and hoping her standoffish attitude would persuade him to go away. The cramps were starting up again, making her wince but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay upright. Her throat prickled, quickly becoming dry. Too dry to swallow properly. She glanced at the bag she had dumped at her feet, licking her lips slightly before her eyes flickered up to the owner again.

"I'm real tired," she said when he still didn't make any move to budge. But now he raised a finger at her.

"Oh. Yes. Right, it's eighty a night as you know. I expect payment tomorrow night, same time. In cash, please. I hope you enjoy your stay, little lady." He nodded politely and shuffled his way to the door. When he passed, she breathed in and felt her stomach growl at the sweet scent of his blood. She inhaled sharply through her mouth and spun to shut the door right behind him.

" _Fuck,_ " she hissed, bending forward. Her palms pressed against the door, a desperate attempt to keep herself up. Pain shot through her. She breathed in. Jaw clenched.

 _One… two… three…_

She moved on the three, scooping up her bag and hurrying over to the bed. The zip almost broke in her grasp and she rummaged through the contents, pushing things aside hurriedly or throwing random items on the bed or the floor. It really didn't matter as long as she could get her hands on what she desperately needed.

Bridget almost whimpered out loud as she took out a blood bag. The smell was never as fresh as it was straight from the humans themselves but there was still a richness to it that made her stomach whine and whimper. She groaned, clenching her teeth together as she used a sharp nail to rip into the bag. At the slightest tear, she heard herself growl. A feral sound and she didn't even try to stop it. Her teeth were bared, chest heaving with each wheezy breath and she brought the bag to her lips.

Having been in a bag, it was losing its taste. It wasn't as soothing on her dry, burning throat as she imagined fresh blood straight from the vein would be. And while she kept trying to persuade herself that it was a good thing she hadn't had the experience of tasting blood from a human, there was a growing desire to have the real thing.

The pain in her stomach eased. Not completely but enough to help her move about again without being in severe agony. She squeezed at the bag, forcing every single drop out. When there was nothing left, she sighed and dropped the bag in the bin next to her bedside table. Completely empty and gone in seconds.

She was getting hungrier each day.

Bridget closed her eyes and sank down on her bed, eyes lowered to stare glumly at the floor. At first she thought she had finally found a way to keep the hunger at bay. When she tried drinking from blood bags, her hunger eased and she could keep going without yearning too much for fresh blood. Even if she couldn't find a way to revert herself back to being human, she was at least thrilled to find a way of feeding herself and satisfying those violent, tempting urges but her glee quickly faded. In hardly any time at all she found herself starving again, just like at the beginning when she was first turned and left Santa Carla.

One blood bag a night had turned into two at the least.

If anything, the urge to kill and feed on blood only came back with a terrifying force.

There was a phone in the room and she stared at it, fingers gripping onto the edge of the bed. She chewed on her lower lip, feeling the sharp sting of teeth. She made a tiny whimper because she could feel the points of her fangs and she hadn't even purposely allowed her teeth to lengthen. It just happened.

These accidents were occurring way too much now.

 _Phone home,_ she thought, immediately thinking of her friends. Maybe Bonnie had a point. She needed to go home and get help from them if she couldn't find this comic book artist.

 _Or go home and get help from Bernice and Alan._

She squeezed her eyes shut, groaning and shook her head sharply.

 _No!_

The only help she was going to get from them would be a lesson on how to rip into someone's throat. That was _not_ what she needed even if she argued with herself over it more and more these days. She had seen how quickly Alan had changed, only a few days after being turned to begin with. Vampire blood had been forced down his throat that Monday and by Friday, he had grown detached from humanity. A large part of him had stopped caring and even if Logan hadn't forced Alan's thirst to gain control and make him kill, Bridget knew he would have been ready to give in anyway. She could see why now. Any anger she had towards him for losing control had disappeared because after two weeks of being half she didn't feel like a human at all. She was in a strange limbo where she thirsted for blood and thought about killing, just like a vampire, but still held herself back and tried to stick to her human morals. Even though she was doing this more for herself now. Not for any innocent life.

Her main and only reason for becoming human again was clear to her. As a human, she had been a bit on the rough side. She was angered quickly. If anyone did anything to her friends, she had been ready to yell. In a few cases, she had even dared to slap the person pissing her or her friends off and most of them were towards Imogen Reece, Alan's former crush. With vampire blood through her veins, she always felt ready to wrap her hands around someone's neck and crush it in one squeeze. She wanted to feel her fangs tear flesh apart. Revel in hearing someone beg for mercy and not give it.

She was terrified of finding out what she could really be capable of as a vampire.

And how much she'd enjoy it.

Despite her fears, she didn't blame Alan. If he hadn't had turned her, she would be completely dead. Charlotte had ripped into her throat like a starved animal and there had be no chance of surviving an injury like that. When she was only sixteen years old, there was no way that she would welcome any sort of death. It was die or be turned. She may have been stubborn at the time and proclaimed otherwise but in hindsight she was glad Alan had still been human enough to save her.

The only problem was now she had to find a way to return human without killing Alan.

So far only one person seemed to be the help she really needed.

She took out the comic book Bonnie had given her before she ran away, flicking straight to the back to stare at the author's photograph. Blake Ricelli stared right back at her with wavy, dark blonde hair, falling into his eyes. They were serious, matching the rest of his solemn expression, and dark brown. Quite a contrast to the fair colouring on his hair. His comics were pretty awful, full of cheesy dialogue but he seemed to have created a portrayal of vampires very similar to what her and her friends had seen for themselves. Too similar. All the rules and traits were exactly their own experiences of vampires. This guy appeared to know too much about the undead and it had to be because of his own dealings with them. At least that was what Bridget wanted to believe. The answers to her problems had to lie in San Diego and she was determined to find this author. Her search had brought her to Pacific Beach, finally directed somewhere after her last destination. She hadn't taken into consideration how big San Diego really was, fully focused on grabbing her stuff and leaving Santa Carla as quickly as possible. She felt a lot of time had been wasted travelling around San Diego in the hope that it was the home of Blake Ricelli. It was only in her last destination, Encinitas, where a couple of guys in a comic book store pointed her in the right direction of Pacific Beach. She still didn't have an address but the owners said he currently lived in the area at least.

 _Come on, soldier,_ she thought and stuffed the comic book into her bag. _You want to be human. You shouldn't have to remind yourself of that. Get up and go find him._

* * *

She had gone from her motel in Pacific Beach to Mission Beach, following the directions of each comic store she had passed. Blake Ricelli was a reclusive artist and writer, known around the parts but hardly seen nowadays. He hadn't created a new comic for a few years now and comic stores around the neighbourhood never saw him again. A whole hour of walking around had started to get tiresome and she had been surrounded by too many humans. Instead of looking for another comic store as she walked down Mission Boulevard, she found her eyes wandering to people's throats as they walked past her. She could easily catch the veins that drew her in, blue and pulsing. Heartbeats varied. Some steady, some frantic. But all of them tempted her to let her teeth lengthen. To sink them into the next throat that she went near and take every drop of thick, warm blood from that person without a care in the world.

After two weeks of being a half vampire, she could see how allowing herself to give in like that would be a freedom. The cravings were agony. Suffocating. They made her feel caged and she felt like she constantly walked on eggshells to make sure she didn't snap. It would be a freedom to simply take that first bite and let go of any lingering principles that she fought to keep, even if she could feel it slipping away each night.

Logan had once said to her she was already a vampire. The only thing that made her different from the rest of them was that she hadn't fed. And she could see why he had said that to her. She needed invitations in to make sure the motel showers wouldn't burn her skin. She hadn't seen the sunlight in a week, now starting to affect her as if she was a full vampire. Maybe not to an extent where she would burst into flames but as soon as the sun came up she fell into an almost comatose sleep. And when she had forced herself to stay outside one day, it prickled and stung at her skin. She was more one of them than she was a human. She felt it.

She halted abruptly, tearing her eyes away from another human's neck when she looked up and saw a small shop. Outside there was a table full of cheap comics, stacked in cardboards boxes, bent from being stuffed full. She sighed, taking a deep breath in to ignore her hunger and walked inside.

She missed the comic store back in Santa Carla. The spacious aisles and the constant black and white horror films Edgar and Alan always put on when it was late in the evening. This shop had small, narrow aisles where she almost had to turn sideways to walk down. It was dark, the lights too dim when the shop was open at night but luckily she could still see clearly and sharply. And the owner was a thin, tall man. His face was blemished, shiny across his forehead and nose with a breakout just under his chin. He sat in a chair, reading a comic as he held a burger in his other hand and took large bites out of it.

Bridget wandered nearer to the counter and cleared her throat.

"We're closing in five," he mumbled.

"I'm looking for someone," she said. Behind her, she heard the footsteps of another customer coming into the shop. She didn't look behind her, eyes focused on the owner as he glanced up at her with a bored expression.

"Afraid I'm the only one in this store and I doubt you'd be looking for me," he said.

"This guy." She held up her copy of _Destroy All Vampires_ , showing him the back page. "I'm looking for Blake Ricelli."

"The comic book artist and author?" The owner set his comic and burger down to lean forward. He pushed his glasses back up on his nose to peer at the photograph.

"You know him? Apparently he's from these parts." she asked.

"Yeah, he used to work here. When he was creating comics that is. Why are you looking for him?"

"I'm a big fan. I'm just looking to get this signed."

He raised an eyebrow at her but she kept her face straight. It was a stupid answer but she didn't really care too much to come up with a decent lie. She just wanted to find the guy and get more information from him.

She waited for the owner to speak, sighing at his long pause before he straightened and shook his head. "Sorry. Don't know where the guy is."

"I was told he lived around here."

The owner shrugged. "Haven't seen him."

She stared him in the eye, tempted to crawl into his mind and force the truth out of him. She wondered why he had suddenly straightened his back and turned his voice clipped as if he was hiding something. She figured he was. Lying to protect the whereabouts of Blake. She understood why. She was in fact a complete stranger asking for his address. He probably thought she was some crazed, geeky fan with a dedicated shrine to Blake in her wardrobe.

But she held herself back. She had used that trick too much. There had been too many times she had captured a human's attention with her eyes and sent them into a trance to get what she wanted out of them. And she could still hear the other customer wandering around and rummaging through the comics. She couldn't risk getting caught.

"Okay," she said and flashed the owner an icy smile. "Thanks."

She stuffed the comic back into her bag and turned on her heel, marching out. She turned left to wander down the street but stopped. There was a scent bugging her. A musky scent that stayed close by and she knew where it had come from. She began walking again and heard footsteps that weren't her own start again, exactly when she did.

She pinched her lips together and kept marching through the street. Whoever this person was, why did they have to pick her of all people? If they tried something, she would have to defend herself. And in defending herself, she might just lose total control.

Her anger was building up. Did they really intend to hurt her?

 _Think you're dangerous? I'm capable of so much more.  
_

A small smile played on her lips and she turned into the next alley she came across, flying straight up to the roof of a building. This was where she had the chance to fly away but she stayed lurking over, watching as the hooded figure followed to where she had marched in. She bit back a chuckle as they halted, head whipping around to find her. She crouched, feeling the bones in her face crack and shift as she lost any trace of humanity in her features. The points of her fangs nipped at her bottom lip.

This felt… fun. Almost satisfying.

Completely satisfying would be ripping into their throat.

 _Maybe it's time to give in,_ she thought. What better first kill than some asshole who had the stupid notion that they were a threat to her?

She perched on the ledge of the roof. There was a spot right in front of the stranger and she aimed to land right there. Then she would grab them and tear their throat apart.

Maybe if she went through it, she could go back to Santa Carla. Not be afraid to be with her sister and Alan.

She leapt down, an eerie screech coming from her movements. She landed right in front of the hooded figure and reached out for their throat like she had planned. Although she hadn't expected the person to hold a cross out, dangling it right in front of her face. She hissed, jumping back.

"Vampire hunter," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Well done, Sherlock," the stranger, a man, muttered and pulled out a stake from his belt. She raised her hands immediately.

"Whoa, before you do that –."

She swore, ducking as he ran towards her and went to push his weapon through her heart. She darted out of his path and moved so she was behind him now.

"Dude, calm the fuck down! There's been a misunderstanding."

"I don't think so. You're a vampire. I'm a vampire hunter. We fight. You die."

She chuckled dryly. "I'm not planning on being that easy to kill. You shouldn't have followed me from that comic book store. Didn't you think I'd know what you were doing? I could smell and hear you following me."

"You're a vampire and you're looking for Blake Ricelli. I've got a job to do."

"You know Blake Ricelli?"

"I'm not telling you anything, _bloodsucker_."

She frowned. "Don't call me that. I'm not a bloodsucker."

"You kidding? Look at you. You're one of them. You were about to feed off me."

"I'm half," she snapped. "I was only gonna feed because I thought you were a threat. Like a robber or a rapist or something."

"You were about to take your first kill," he said.

"Yeah, well, trying being half for a couple of weeks and see how well you resist that urge," she said, scowling as her features changed back into human again.

"You could just be a full vampire trying to talk her way out of getting staked."

She sighed. "Look, I don't have time for this shit. I need to know where Blake is. He's the only one who can help me."

"How can Blake help a vampire? I'm not going to tell you where he is."

"Oh for –." She dug into her pocket for a small mirror. Another way of terrifying her out of feeding by having her disappearing reflection as a reminder of the monster she was slowly becoming. She tossed it to the stranger and he easily caught it. She saw part of his face was covered up. A black scarf was wrapped around his mouth and all she could see were his nose and brown eyes.

"Look in the mirror. I'm still there… just about. A full vampire wouldn't have any reflection at all."

"I know that," he snapped.

"Then look!"

The hunter flicked open the case, holding it so he would be able to see her reflection but also keep an eye out for any suspicious or sudden movements from her. When he took a quick glance he indeed saw Bridget. Faint but she was still there.

"I'm only a half vampire," Bridget said. "And I need Blake's help. I need a cure. A way to become human again." She opened up her bag and held the copy of _Destroy All Vampires_ up.

"This comic has got everything right about vampires. Everything I've seen is all in here. So this Blake guy must know about vampires too. It can't be a coincidence. And if he does really know about them, then maybe he knows a way to cure me." Her voice faltered and she shrugged helplessly. "I am so close to becoming one of them for good. I need to find a way to become human again before I give in. I've been like this for two weeks. It's unbearable."

The stranger didn't say anything for a few seconds. He stared at Bridget, watching this change from a bloodsucker ready for a fight to a vulnerable looking girl. As feral as she looked before, with her human face back on she was young. Still a kid. He sighed and let his posture relax, tossing the mirror back to her. She caught it easily with one hand.

"Okay, I know where you can find Blake."

She sighed, eyes closing.

"Thank you. Where is he?"

In response, he pulled back his hood revealing untidy dark blonde hair. He tugged his scarf down, showing his face completely now and Bridget took in his wavy hair, dark eyes, and solemn expression.

"You're looking at him," Blake Ricelli said.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Chapter 4 will be up next Saturday. :)**


	5. Chapter 4

Bridget stared at the hunter who had now revealed himself to be the guy she was looking for. She wanted to laugh and take a few seconds to celebrate after travelling around for two weeks. But instead, she ran straight towards him, arms stretching out to grab at his shirt. He raised his hands in defence, ready to hit her.

"Tell me how to cure myself!" she demanded, fingers grasping at the material of his jacket.

"Calm the fuck down!"

"This is important. I need to know how to cure this."

He managed to pry her fingers off. For a girl with a scrawny build she had an iron grip on her. Then again, she wasn't fully human either. There was vampire blood in her system that made her inhumanly strong. Unnatural. Before she could grab at him again, he held up a cross and in midst of her lunging for him again, she paused and stumbled backwards in a jerky movement. Her hands flew up but only to use as a shield, feeling the cross drive her backwards. Her teeth were bared again, that face turning savage and demonic as she hissed.

" _Get it away from me,_ " she snapped.

"We need to set some rules, bloodsucker –."

"Stop calling me a bloodsucker!"

"Rules," Blake said in a clipped tone and his eyes narrowed at her. "I'm a vampire hunter and helping vampires, half or full, isn't exactly part of my job description. If you want help, you need to work at keeping that thirst of yours at bay. You keep your distance from me, you don't do any of those sudden movements like you did then, and don't even think about staring at my neck. You got all of that?"

Bridget fought back a smirk on her lips. With appearance he was the complete opposite of Edgar. Tall and blonde with a stocky but muscular build and intense dark eyes. Edgar was short for a guy with hair that couldn't decide if it was blonde or a very light brown and still had a youthful, boyish look. But personality wise and the way he spoke towards her was a perfect copy of the bossy vampire hunter she had befriended last summer.

"And stop smirking. It looks suspicious."

Bridget snorted, raising a hand to her mouth to muffle her snickering. With a shake of her head she raised her other hand as a way of showing surrender.

"I'm sorry," she said, still laughing. "You sound like my friend."

"There are more of you?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that," she said. "My friends back home. We're – they're vampire hunters."

"You're the only one?"

"Well, I'm by myself. I'm not in a pack. At least, I'm not in the pack I'm supposed to be with." She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself and rubbing at her bare arms. It was a cold night for the West Coast but her skin didn't react to it.

"So, you're a former vampire hunter?" Blake asked and snorted. "Bet you feel embarrassed."

Bridget scowled, placing her hands on her hips. "I really wouldn't laugh or make any snide comments, okay?"

At the flash of amber in her eyes, Blake nodded and pressed his lips together even though she could still see the tug of a smirk on his lips. She heard herself growl but kept herself away, still putting a good distance between her and Blake.

"We both have rules. Got it." He nodded sharply and beckoned her to follow him. "I could with some food. We'll talk there."

"I need books," she said as he walked past. "I need all your information. Just take me to your place."

Blake stopped to glance back at her. "Are you sure you were a vampire hunter? I'm not having a vampire know where I live. Even if you are only half."

She huffed but followed him. At the sight of his stern look and quick wave of his hand, she knew what he wanted. Distance. Another growl escaped her as she shuffled a few steps away from him. He nodded again and continued to lead her out of the alley.

"The way you mistrust me is very insulting," she muttered.

"And the way you growl and look like you're ready to take a bite out of my neck is very suspicious, bloodsucker."

She growled again but clamped a hand around her mouth when he glanced back at her.

"Sorry. But you need to stop calling me bloodsucker. My name's Bridget."

"Okay then… Bridget."

* * *

Blake had one hell of an appetite. He had ordered a double cheeseburger with a large portion of fries and a cola. Within seconds of being given his food, he had already gobbled down two large bites and stuffed multiple fries into his mouth. Bridget watched with her lips twisted in a cringe as he practically inhaled the meal. But then she thought about how hungry he must be and her mind turned to her own hunger. That need to devour blood.

Pain shot through her stomach and she whimpered, straightening up. Blake stopped chewing to stare at her before gesturing to his meal.

"Would 'uman food 'elp the cravings?" he asked, giving her an unnecessary view of the chewed food in his mouth.

"No," she said.

He finally swallowed. "Are you eating anything at all?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not wanting to reveal what she had been living on to keep the hunger away. She was worried if he'd go back on his acceptance to help if he knew she was consuming human blood. Even if it was from a blood bag.

"No."

"You must be hungry."

"Famished." She bit her lip and stared out of the diner window. Blake thought he was playing safe by keeping her away from his home and talking in public where she was less likely to expose her vampirism. But as soon as she had stepped in all she could smell was blood. There weren't a lot of customers and staff. In total she only saw seven people and that excluded herself and Blake. But it was enough to remind of her of those urges and cravings. Enough to make her stop and enjoy breathing in all the different scents. She sat down in a booth, tense and gripping onto the fabric of the seat as she tried to keep herself under control. She would have loved nothing more than to grab the nearest human and bite down into their neck, taking every drop of blood but she braced herself and used whatever will she could conjure up to stay away.

Blake glanced at the customers. "This wasn't a good idea."

"No shit," she muttered.

"If it helps, I'll stake you as soon as you bite into one of these customers."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she glared in his direction. "How the fuck is that going to help me?"

"It'll hopefully motivate you to keep those fangs away. The minute you lose control, I'll be there shoving a stake right through your heart. If you want to live, you'll leave them alone."

She slumped further in her seat. "You would definitely get on with a friend of mine."

"Is this your hunter friend?"

She nodded and he put his burger down.

"What's your story then?" he asked.

"You know my story. Former vampire hunter."

"I want to hear more of it. What happened to you?"

She huffed through her nose. "It's a really long story."

He sat back, stretching out his legs and folded his arms. There was a grin on his face. "We have time. You more than anyone, I guess. Even if you're only half the aging process slows down until obviously ceasing as soon as you're full."

"Great, just what I want to hear. My aging is already fucked up," she muttered but sat up and propped her folded arms on the table. "Okay. I'm in – I _was_ in a gang. There was a group of us who found out what was really happening in Santa Carla and some of my friends specifically had dealings with a pack. They staked them but it brought more vampires."

Blake nodded, lowering his eyes. "You staked vampires and pissed off their connections."

She nodded. "Their Head Vampire had family. Actual family. His brother and nephew came to town and one of the vampires from the pack who hunted my friends had survived. Shit stake job apparently. For revenge, they've been targeting our families and changing some of us." Now she lowered her eyes, staring at her pale arms. "They changed my boyfriend and sister first. One of the vampires nearly killed me but my boyfriend turned me."

"He gave you his blood?"

"Yep."

"You're probably not gonna want to hear this but –."

"I know about the Head Vampire cure," she interrupted. "I can't do it. I refuse to. Sorry, I know it doesn't look good if I'm protecting him but that's just how I feel. He means a lot to me. Still does. That's why I've been searching for you. You seem to know a lot about vampires. Maybe you know about another cure."

Blake shook his head, lips in a grim, straight line. "That's the only cure."

Bridget's heart dropped to her stomach. She swallowed slowly and shook her head at him.

"There's another cure."

"No, there isn't."

"Well, maybe there is and you don't know it."

"You can only get rid of the vampire blood inside you if you get rid of the one who gave you it. I'm sorry but the only way you're becoming human again is if you kill your boyfriend. He's an obstacle."

Bridget leaned forward, her eyes wide and desperate and she gripped tighter onto the edge of her seat. She felt her sharp nails digging into the material.

"I can't do that. Not with the way I feel about him."

Blake sighed, running a hand through his hair and slumped back. "Look, Bridget, he's made that first kill. He's a full vampire now and even though he saved you that guy you used to know may be completely changed by now. He might not care about your relationship. If you kill him, you'll most likely be killing another twisted bloodsucker who only feels hunger and the urge to slaughter. You won't be killing your boyfriend. He's long gone."

"This is bullshit!" Bridget snapped, suddenly standing up. Her voice had been loud, startling the staff and customers in the diner and they all turned in curiosity at the commotion Bridget had just made.

"It's the reality of things," Blake argued. "You know what the deal is with your situation. If you're not up to it, you're fucked."

She swore and grabbed her bag, turning on her heel to storm out of the diner. The door slammed, shaking and Blake thought for a second that the glass was going to start cracking. When he peered over to where she had been sitting, the material had been ripped. Indents of her hands and fingers were clear and he sighed, sitting back.

"That girl is fucking Vesuvius," he muttered.

* * *

Out in the streets, Bridget marched down the pavement. It was a quiet night with the streets almost deserted apart from a few locals. The wind blew against her skin but she still didn't react to the icy blasts. If anything, those icy blasts felt a tad warmer than her. Touching her wrist, she could feel that vampiric temperature. She was cold to touch and worryingly pale. If she looked down on her arms, she could see the faint traces of light blue veins. Veins contaminated with vampire blood.

Once back at her motel room, she dashed for her rucksack and dug around frantically, pushing and throwing items out of the way. She grabbed a blood bag, whimpering in pain as her shaking hands ripped at it. The blood was only a temporary help. It soothed her dry throat. Settled those cravings for fresh blood. But just as quickly as she finished and closed her eyes to revel in the relief, she felt herself suffocating again. Burning with hunger.

A defeated cry escaped from her as she dropped the empty blood bag into the bin and she collapsed on the floor. Propped up against the bed with her arms hugging her knees, she bit her lip and rocked from the agony of not feeding properly.

There was only one cure.

 _I don't believe that,_ she thought but her sinking heart told her it was probably true.

She stood back up to look outside, chewing on her lower lip until she felt a sharp pain and the sting of the skin splitting. There was a brief taste of blood, not appeasing as someone fully human. It tasted tangy. It only made her desperate for the real thing. Just to taste it and give in. Life would be easier if she wasn't fighting back all the time. Her eyes were on the phone box outside the motel. She moved quickly, inhumanly quickly, and only hesitated once before she took a deep breath and slipped in coins. Her fingers pressed the buttons quickly and she waited in silence as the dial tone turned to a shrill ringing. She drummed against the glass, hoping that it would be Bonnie who answered and not her father. She didn't have enough coins to keep trying in the hopes that her friend would pick up the phone.

She breathed out in relief when she heard her friend's voice answer.

"Hi," Bridget said.

"Hey. Any news?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my God – wait…" There was a pause and Bridget stayed quiet until Bonnie spoke again. "You don't sound happy. Oh no, what is it?"

Bridget closed her eyes as she leaned against the glass, tilting her head up to stare glumly at the night sky outside.

"There's no other cure," she said. "I found Blake. He told me the only way to turn human is to kill the Head Vampire."

"But you say you won't kill Alan."

"No," she said, unable to her help her tone sound stubborn and brusque.

"Brid," Bonnie said, slow and quiet. "If that's the only way you can become human again, it needs to be done."

"I can't. I still feel so strongly about him. I can't help it. He's Alan." She sighed. "And I think we've pissed off enough vampires. He's part of their pack now. They'll kill all of us if we go near him."

"Hate to admit it, chick, but you're probably right there. Brid, I can't believe we're allying up with freaking _bloodsuckers._ Sorry, no offence."

"I'm not one of them," Bridget said, gritting her teeth slightly.

"Of course you're not."

Bridget paused, wondering whether or not to tell Bonnie exactly how she was feeling. She wanted her friends more than ever, now being sick of dealing with this all by herself. Yet she didn't want her problem to become their problem. Or admit how close she was to taking that final step.

"I'm nearly though," she finally said and her voice was almost a whisper. She licked her dry lips and talked quietly. "I want to kill."

"You can't," Bonnie insisted.

"I can't help it. It's a craving and it's unbearable."

"I know what it's like. But you have to control it. If you kill, that's it. You're one of them for good." Bonnie's voice was shaking now. "We can't lose you too."

There were tears welling up in the corner of Bridget's eyes. Her lips quivered, drops rolling down her cheeks and her voice cracked as she spoke. "I don't think I can do this by myself."

"Then come home. We'll work it out. Or I can come to you. Tell me where you are."

"Bon, I can't put you in danger like that."

"There's no danger. I'll come and stay with you. I can lie to Dad and say I'm going out of town with friends. He'll probably be glad if he thinks I'm getting away for the weekend. Where are you?"

Bridget paused, ready to argue and persuade Bonnie into staying away. But along with her hunger there was nagging, painful feeling of lonliness and all she wanted were the people she cared about again. She was getting nowhere by herself so maybe it was time to allow her friends back in.

"Pacific Beach, San Diego. Mission Boulevard Motel," she said.

"I'll talk to this Blake guy myself. Maybe he doesn't know about alternate cures. We'll do a bit of research."

"Thanks, Bonnie," Bridget said, wiping her eyes. "For helping."

"Stay in control," Bonnie urged. "I'll travel first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

It was Bonnie who hung up first, fingers flying to her mouth where she began to nibble on the nail of her middle finger. She was lucky tomorrow was the weekend. But she still had to make sure everyone could help her lie to her dad.

It was as she went to grab a large weekend bag that she caught sight of a figure at her window. Straight away her heart was racing but she had to force herself to move. She needed a weapon. Darting to her bed, there was a box of weapons she kept underneath. Grabbing a stake and a bottle of Holy water, Bonnie headed straight outside.

She kept her back against the wall, glancing left and right to make sure whoever was lurking around outside wouldn't sneak up on her. She expected to suddenly see Marko, snarling at her with his fangs ready to rip her throat to pieces. Her grip tightened when she heard footsteps to her left and she turned with her stake aimed. Alan's hands were already held up and he stopped in his tracks.

"You need to stop lurking around here," she snapped. She still kept her weapons ready.

"Just making sure Marko was keeping his distance. You heard from Bridget?" Alan asked and she sighed, rolling her eyes at the question Alan continued to ask her. It was almost every night he came to their houses. Bonnie's… Sam's… his own. Although he called it Edgar's now.

"No." But she kept biting her nails and when Alan stepped forward, her eyes looked elsewhere. She swore at herself mentally. Usually she was a pretty good liar but she knew vampires could get inside people's heads. Mainly to make them hallucinate but there was always a chance they could access a human's minds if they dug deep enough. The way Alan narrowed his eyes at her made her think that was exactly what he was doing.

"You're lying," he said. "You know where she is."

Bonnie raised her stake. "You're going to keep away."

"I know. I only want to know if she's alright. Does she need help?"

"Help to turn? Huge freaking no!"

"It's turn or starve. Do you want her dead?"

Bonnie gritted her teeth. "If it meant she wouldn't be wandering the streets killing people then yes."

Alan folded his arms. "Does she feel the same way? It's been a while since she was turned. How well is she fighting the hunger?"

"She's lasted longer than you and Bernice."

"You didn't answer my question. How different is she?"

Bonnie fought back tears, reliving all the conversations she had been having with Bridget. How her friend had phoned her almost every night and when she did, she sounded less and less human. More desperate and tempted to kill and be rid of the pain she was going through by not feeding and completing the change.

"She's fighting."

"And so is that part of her that's a vampire," Alan said. "We both know what it's like to be turning into one."

Bonnie refused to answer, weary already from the argument she was having with her former best friend. He too seemed exhausted as he shook his head, a hand running his dark hair.

"Shit happened," he said. "Neither of us planned to be vampires but it's done now. It's a life we have to adjust to. It's all about survival in the end."

 _Exactly what I tried to do,_ Bonnie thought, thinking back to last summer when she willingly turned herself half. It was a flawed plan but at the time it was all about her survival. How she could ensure she would continue to stay alive when she had knowledge about vampires. When she was dealing with Marko's pack, there didn't seem to be any other choice. She either had to turn in order to make it look like she was considering full vampirism or let Marko and the boys kill her simply for knowing they existed.

"I'm not telling you anything," she said, raising her chin. Inside, she was shaking. She tensed herself, waiting for Alan to snap. To beat information out of her, to break in and kill her father… she expected some sort of consequence. She held up a cross.

"If you still need our alliance against Marko and Charlotte, you can't do anything to us," she snapped.

"I'm not going to torture you for information or kill your dad if that's what you're worried about," Alan said and rolled his eyes. "What do you think I am?"

"A vampire," Bonnie said.

"I'm Alan," he said. "I'm not some mindless monster like Marko or Charlotte. That's not me. If you don't want to tell me where she is then fine. I won't force it. Just let me know if she's alright."

Bonnie sucked in her breath, eyes watering. "No. She isn't."

Alan shut his eyes briefly, his eyebrows furrowing as a pained look came over his face. "Did I do the right thing? She was dying so I helped her in the only way I could. But..."

His voice trailed off and Bonnie's features softened. She wanted to give him a hug like she always did when he was troubled over something. But her mind forced her feet to stay put, reminding her that Alan wasn't human. He was the enemy and while it still made her stomach churn to see him upset, that close friendship they once had was no more. She stayed put but she relaxed now and smiled weakly at him.

"You helped her. It was a twisted way to help her but it was an Alan thing to do," she said. "I don't doubt that you care about her a lot. It's your call to say if it's love or just a really strong like at the moment but she's definitely important to you. I know wouldn't be okay right now if she had died. You turned her but at least she's still here. Sort of."

He gave her nod, flashing a small smile, before he disappeared right in front of her eyes. She blinked, whirling around but he was nowhere to be found. His movements had been too fast for her to even see. She sighed slowly, shuddering at their confrontation before hurriedly making her way back inside. She had to get packing if she was going to San Diego to help her best friend.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Update will be next Saturday. :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Raindrop: Charlotte's... yeah, I won't be polite. She's a psychotic bitch with a few screws loose. =P Thank you for reviewing.**

* * *

"There we go," Charlotte whispered. She glanced back at Marko, leaning against the tree and crooked a finger at him. There was a grin creeping up on her face and she turned back to the gathering in the woods. It was a mix of her old classmates. Students from the football team, the cheerleaders, the honour students… everyone came here down in the Redwoods to a small clearing right in the heart of the woods. It was where everyone organised the secret school gatherings. Snuck out to hang and drink their weight in alcohol. Charlotte remembered dragging Bridget down here a few times, attempting her to blend in more with the school and socialise for once. It usually ended with Bridget starting a fight, normally with Imogen Reece.

Marko stood next to her, looking at the raucous students. They were all buzzing with alcohol, laughing and joking with that ignorance of what really lurked around Santa Carla. The dancing, the play fighting… an amalgam of different scents and heart beats. It was intoxicating… hypnotising…

Marko breathed in and smiled. He was reminded of those pack hunts. The four of them. Himself, David, Paul and Dwayne hiding in the shadows as they watched and targeted a rowdy group of youths. Taking their time to play games and build up their fear just to spice up that warm, human blood.

But having those memories reminded him of his anger. How much he felt lost without that connection from the boys who became family to him. How much he wanted to kill those hunters one by one for taking everything away from him, to have one night where he made each one of them suffer before he ripped into them.

He was never going to be happy when two of those brats gave in to the vampire blood. They would be living forever now. Strong, powerful, superior… how was that a punishment? It was a gift yet Logan couldn't see that.

David wouldn't have allowed that. Neither would Max.

"So who's this breather you wanted to show me?" he asked and Charlotte immediately pointed to a boy. He was tall and broad, well-muscled. His light brown hair was thick and neatly trimmed. Everything about him was clean cut and neat. There wasn't even a crease in his clothes.

"Pretty Boy?" Marko sneered at the boy's appearance.

"Bobby Denton. He and Alan never got on in school. He's quite good in sports and has a temper on him. If you need brawn, there's your guy. I'm sure as a vampire he wouldn't mind tearing off heads for you. Especially Alan."

"Hmmm. Brawn's always handy. But it's risky to have idiot muscle about. If you want to survive, you need to be smart. He'll be alright throwing punches but if you really want to play in the big league you have to have a brain. I'm not prepared to look out for the brat because he thinks with his fists," Marko said.

"He's in a few honours classes. Got high grades in his SATs. He's intelligent. Don't judge him because of sports. He'd make a good vampire." Charlotte elbowed Marko and grinned. "We never said anything about keeping any of these newbies. They're the pawns on the chessboard."

"Okay. We'll try him out." Marko unscrewed the lid of a liquor flask before lifting his left wrist up to his mouth. His fangs sank straight through his skin, opening up a large wound. He was careful in letting his blood drip into the bottle, a good amount to change someone before he screwed the lid back on and let his gash heal up. It took seconds before the skin was smooth again, not a sign that it had been cut into.

"I'll make it quick," he said. "The less time it takes to hang out with a bunch of high school kids, the better," he added with a mutter and wandered over. The smell of weed grew stronger with each step. The students were too busy dancing. Too busy have ridiculous arm wrestles to prove who was strongest. Sharing saliva through wet, almost desperate kisses. None of them seemed to pay Marko much attention as he slinked his way through the crowds until he came to the chevy his target was standing near. He guzzled down a beer, arm thrown over a red headed girl in a possessive manner. As if to broadcast his ownership. Marko rolled his eyes and began to unscrew his flask. Almost in perfect time, Bobby shifted so he could put down his can, balancing it on the hood of the car and leaned down to whisper in the girl's ear. Marko couldn't help but listen in. His sharp hearing picked up everything clearly, as if they were standing right next to him and talking loudly.

"How about we find a more private area?" Bobby whispered to Imogen who giggled, eyes brightening at the idea. Bobby's own eyes glinted mischievously, a brief glance at her lips before his own were against them. Marko swiftly poured his blood into the can of beer. He was already moving away when the loved up couple pulled away from each other. Both of them grinned and Bobby went to reach for his beer, emitting a cry of protest as Imogen quickly grabbed at it.

"I like that idea," she smiled at him and raised the can to her lips. There was a strange rich taste to the usual bitterness. Humming, she closed her eyes and took another sip. It was metallic but rich and seemed to give her a burst of energy each time she drank.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bobby raised his hands as she greedily downed the rest of his drink. "That's going to go straight to your head."

Imogen swayed, letting the empty can drop to the ground. She suddenly groaned, hand shooting up to her throat as it suddenly burned. Out of nowhere it felt dry. Rough like she hadn't drank for days which was ridiculous because she had just downed the rest of Bobby's beer.

"Babe, you okay?" Bobby asked, steadying her by holding onto her shoulders. Imogen cringed, hands flying up to her ears.

"Why is everything so loud?" One hand moved to her head. "God, my head is pounding!"

"Maybe we should get you home," Bobby suggested and Imogen nodded, frowning as she was pulled against him. She stumbled along the way, continuing to groan.

At the trees, Charlotte sighed and let her forehead rest against the bark.

"Well, that plan failed," she muttered and glanced at Marko who stared at the scene with a curl of his lip. He swore under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief at the newly turned half vampire. Who wasn't the tall, muscular athlete they had targeted. Instead they had a red-headed Valley girl who Charlotte frequently bitched about from her past.

"Is she of any use at all?" Marko asked. He frowned as Imogen was guided away by Bobby, feeling the urge to punch a hole through a tree in frustration.

"She's on the soccer team at school. And I think she's a pretty fast runner. Not as good as I was though." A growl rumbled in her throat. "Alan crushed on her big time before he moved to Bridget. I don't know what he saw in her. I don't know what he sees in any of these idiot girls he falls for."

"Oh, you're better than all of them?" Marko asked with a grin and she nodded. From the way she remained solemn as she nodded, he got the impression she was being serious. Completely ignorant of his teasing.

"They're nothing," she said. "I'm more powerful than both those bitches. And this was _my_ gift. _I_ get to be the vampire. _I_ get to live forever. Neither of them deserve it."

"Well, looks like you're going to have to put your superiority aside," Marko said. "That Imogen chick is half now. The only way she's going back to human is by killing me and I'm not okay with that. You'll have to put up with her being with us."

Charlotte shrugged. "Or if we get what we want, she can change fully and we'll roast her alive in the sunlight. We just need numbers. After we win, we'll have no use for any of these vampires we've turned."

She huffed through her nose before she turned on her heel. "There are a few losers here who made me miserable in school. I'm gonna go see if I can lure one of them away and have a bit of revenge." She flashed her fangs at him in a smile before she darted back into the woods, hiding within the trees. Marko sighed at the revenge thirsty companion he had been stuck with. Relief brought out the tension in his shoulders as he was finally alone and temporarily free from her constant whining and ranting.

"I wanna kill Alan, I want Alan to be mine – _fuck's sake_ ," he growled, moving away from the clearing and out of the Redwoods completely. He took to the sky, heading into the dark clouds ahead, bleak and threatening to rain down heavily on the town below.

He was impatient about getting rid of everyone who fucked with him but right now he was more impatient about getting rid of Charlotte. She talked about disposing these humans they were turning, but she was exactly one of them in Marko's eyes. An idiot who was helping him get what he wanted. No-one could replace the family he had, especially her.

He landed in the cave. He tried to stay outside of Santa Carla. Move around from one abandoned place to another so he couldn't be tracked so easily. It was a tactic David always wanted to do but they had to obey the orders of Max who preferred settling for a while. Their Head had always enjoyed the comfort of his own house rather than some abandoned building or cave the boys normally settled in.

The cave had been trashed many times since Marko left and his family died. Most belongings, including Paul's rock box had been taken as most of his art supplies. David's wheelchair had been left turned over. The posters had been ripped down or sprayed with graffiti. There were even a couple of sleeping bags in the cave which suggested somebody might be currently squatting.

This had once been their home. By far, Marko's favourite. It was their own little world, away from the humans where they could do whatever they pleased. Make it look like however they pleased. Deep down in the elevator shaft was another small hideaway where they could sleep in peace. Not quite a coffin but confined and damp. A perfect place to hang upside down and sleep the day away. This was their kingdom.

Marko kicked a pizza box out of the way, fists clenching as he looked around his old home. Seeing it trashed and broken into made his blood burn. Gather up all his anger and he felt his face changing in response. His emotions were spiralling out of control, spinning round and round until he roared and kicked a table over.

When he heard the voices coming closer, the young and slurred voices, he growled and went to disappear into the shadows. Three humans. Two females and a male. One of them, one of the girls, had a scent like cinnamon. Spicy and warm from the alcohol she had consumed. There was a distant memory of drinking mulled wine with his family at Christmas. That was how he imagined her blood to taste like when he would go to drain every drop. He grinned, fangs bared, as he waited for them to come inside the cave. Unfortunately for them he had had enough of changing humans tonight.

These three were taking the last few steps of their mortal lives.

* * *

Leaving a burning dead girl behind, Alan marched his way back to DeCosta. Logan had decided to stay in the abandoned house, located in the middle of Santa Carla's roughest and run-down neighbourhood. It had more discarded homes than owned and most of the residents around the area were squatters. The two storey house they had made home in was completely boarded up, serving as sufficient protection from the sun. He walked inside through the back entrance, greeted by music and candles lit in the living room. Ruby had the still body of a girl lying underneath her, a large part of her neck chewed away and the vampire sat back. She caught the blood dripping from her mouth with her hands, a small satisfying hum as she licked up the stains on her fingers.

"By the disappointed look on your face, Bonnie still isn't caving?" Logan asked. He stood near the window, leaning against the boards. Beside him, a tall blonde man stood and he glanced back at Alan with a welcoming smile. It was the only thing that was similar to Max. The smile and the jaw. Other than that, Doctor Adam Mathias was blonde with chiselled features and better dressed. Thin and tall, just like Logan. He was youthful looking too despite having been turned at thirty five years old. It still took some getting used to. That this doctor had never really been the constantly stressed and frantic colleague of Bridget's father. For the past year, he had been the Head Vampire of Logan's pack. Hiding in plain sight and the key to Alan becoming human again.

Despite being one of them now, Alan still felt foolish. They had been too busy trying to find someone new. Some stranger. They had made the assumption that this Head Vampire would be new to town and wouldn't blend in. That had been Max's little quirk that they were sure wouldn't be copied by any other vampire.

With the way Logan's pack had stayed in shadows, learning all they could from watching, it should have occurred to them that the Head Vampire would have been just as sneaky.

Alan trudged to an armchair, briefly glancing at Bernice who straightened with interest on the whereabouts of her sister.

"She's not saying anything about Bridget," he said.

"Your girlfriend's stubborn," Ruby said, kicking the body away from her. "Too stubborn. We thought you were bad but this girl is killing herself to avoid turning. At least all you and Blondie had to do was take one sniff and you were all grrrrrr and hssss!"

"Ah, Bridget," Adam said, chuckling as he shook her head. "Quite the character. I can see why you took to her, son."

Alan raised an eyebrow at Adam. Since revealing himself as the Head Vampire, he had reverted to some mannerisms that reminded Alan too much of Max. A vampire who talked formally and articulate, always sounding like a doting father.

"It's a shame her morals are getting in the way of her fully turning. She'd be useful as a vampire. It's always disappointing when the ones you turn don't co-operate and cause a fuss."

Alan gritted his teeth together. _Way to rub it in,_ he thought.

But what could he do? He knew Bridget too well to think she would actually let herself change. She didn't accept anything that went against what she wanted. And, with some reluctance, he had to admit that she didn't want to be a vampire. Which meant she didn't want to be with him. Her choice was made. She still sided with _them_. His brother. The humans who used to be his friends.

His eyebrows knitted together. Human Alan felt like a dream. A strange, hazy memory that was slowly losing small parts. A jigsaw puzzle being taken apart piece by piece.

"It all fades," Adam said, poking at the teenage boy's mind and getting glimpses of the thoughts that troubled him. "It is like a dream. You're right. You forget to remember how you were linked with this world. It'll probably take time for you and Bernice. You're still surrounded by people from your human lives. But once this is done, we're leaving and everything will truly be in the past."

"Can any of you remember anything?" Alan asked.

"How old _are_ all of you?" Bernice added.

"Not that old. We're still pretty young for vampires," Ruby said and pointed to herself with a toothy grin. "1970s. If I were still human I don't think I would be that much older than you guys."

"How old would you have been now if you were human?" Bernice asked. She had edged forward in her seat, eyebrows raising in interest as the conversation took a turn to their new allies.

Ruby's lips pressed together, twisting to the side as she tilted her head. From the long pause, Alan wondered how much Ruby had already forgotten if she was only turned in the last decade. How quickly did these memories fade away? He figured it must be a quick process as he was already forgetting what it was like to be human. To be a vampire hunter. It all felt like somebody else.

"Twenty… wait, I'm eighteen… it was 1979…"

"Twenty seven," Alan answered. "You'd be twenty seven."

Ruby's nose wrinkled. "How old!"

"I remember it was the twenties," Logan said, glancing up at his father who glanced up to the ceiling in deep thought before nodding.

"I think Harry Houdini had just died. And we were in the process of turning." Adam gestured between himself and Logan. "Courtesy of my dear, deceased brother."

"He was your Head Vampire," Alan said, finding himself edging forward in interest now.

"Max was always obsessed with family. When he lost his wife and sons to tuberculosis, he disappeared for a few years. Wouldn't get in touch with me or our parents. During those years, he must have come across vampires and got himself turned. Never told me how. I didn't really ask. As soon as he came back, Logan and I had consumed vampire blood and were changing. I was never fond of my brother after that."

"You seemed pretty fussed when he died," Alan muttered. The whole reason he had his own set of fangs was because of Adam's revenge.

"Family is family at the end of the day," Adam said. He glanced at Bernice. "You stepped in when your sister was attacked. And I'm sure you would have done the same if it had been your brother." He looked towards Alan who shrugged. Maybe if he had been a half vampire he would have stepped in. But whenever he thought of his brother and his parents now, he felt anger. They were people who should have been there but let him down. His parents had never been parents. Too into their drugs and struggled to give them up to raise their sons properly. Edgar had always been tough on him and when he found himself turning, his older brother's behaviour got worse. He judged, criticised, never trusted him…

"I don't have a family," Alan said.

Ruby rolled her eyes and reached over to tap him on the foot. "Oh, don't be depressing. You do. We're your family now. You've made that first kill and now you're one of us." She grinned at him when he looked her way. "Cheer up, Romeo. You need more than your girlfriend in your life. And she knows that too. She's too attached to those humans and that's why she's fighting."

Alan said nothing, letting his head fall back into the cushion behind him. He caught Bernice's gaze as she too slumped, frowning at Ruby's words and he linked to her mind.

 _How do you feel?_ he asked.

 _About my sister? You saw what happened that night, Alan. I couldn't let her die._ There was a brief pause before she added: _I miss her a lot too. I think I kinda miss everyone._

 _Even Leon?_

Again, there was another pause and Bernice even averted her eyes. _I wouldn't have chosen him for my first victim. If he hadn't been with me, I probably would have done what you did. I would have changed him so we could be together._

 _Do you feel regret?_

 _I'm only trying to forget. We're going to live forever. That's a long time to be miserable. I think our best option is to let ourselves lose those memories._

Alan gave a brief nod and stayed quiet as the day drew closer and drained his energy away. He drooped against the armchair, falling in to the soft but damp cushions as his eyelids began to close slowly and his whole body relaxed. There was still one small thought at the back of his head, even as he gave in to tiredness.

Bridget wasn't someone he wanted to forget about.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Chapter 6 will be posted next Saturday. :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Thank you to Silverheels12 and Raindrop (response below) for reviewing. :)**

 **Raindrop: He's a meanie but yeah, I totally get you. He's been an interesting one to write about. He was so quiet in the film so it's nice for him to have the spotlight. :)**

* * *

In the morning, everyone met up at Edgar's. Or rather, Sam and Bonnie met up at Edgar's. They were the only ones left of a vampire hunting gang that started last summer. It almost made them lose all hope just by looking at how small their group was now. They congregated in Edgar's bedroom, glumly looking at each other.

Sam gave a small shrug. "Well… we might have Bridget back?" He tried to smile. Tried to sound optimistic. But even their usually positive friend was struggling and if Sam failed to see a good outcome from all of this maybe they really were doomed.

Edgar rolled his eyes. "That's just what I need. Another half vampire, ready to take that next step."

"Don't do that," Bonnie said, narrowing her eyes. "Your attitude doesn't help."

"I'm being realistic," Edgar argued back.

"No, you make everyone sound like they're going to fail. As soon as they turn, they're already a full vampire in your eyes. You keep doing this. With me, with Alan –."

"With Michael," Sam added.

"You need to stop," Bonnie said. "It doesn't help."

Edgar glared at them. Ready to snap and argue his case but suddenly his features softened and he hung his head, a long sigh escaping from his lips.

"We were lucky last summer. We had the vampire and we saved you, Michael, Star and Laddie. But it's been different this time. We couldn't find the Head in time and Logan forced Alan and Bernice to feed. And I can't kill Alan to help Bridget. Could you guys?"

"We might have to," Bonnie said. "If we're determined not to lose another friend, we're going to have to freaking toughen up and do it. Edgar, you should see him. He's not Al –."

"I know that!" Edgar snapped. "Do you think I haven't seen him? What he's like now? I've seen plenty already. I've seen him kill!"

There was silence between Bonnie and Sam as they looked towards another before frowning and focusing back on Edgar. He stood, glaring down at them but again it didn't last. In seconds, his sharp gaze seemed to crumble and he seemed to fall back, bumping into his desk. He gripped onto the edge of the table, keeping himself upright as he thought back to the other night with Alan.

Bonnie frowned. "When?"

"When we hunted the other night. You weren't feeling up to it."

"You mean that night I had Bernice playing guard outside my house?"

Edgar nodded. "Alan decided to tag along with me. Mainly to piss me off, I think. But he hadn't fed and he came across some drunk guy. I tried but I couldn't stop him."

He gave a shudder, unable to help thinking of the corpse lying on the floor. The way he slowly went limp as Alan tore into his throat and drained him of every single drop. There was a creak as Bonnie leaped up from his bed. He looked up to see her arms outstretched before they were around him and he was pulled into a hug. Normally he would have pulled away, grumbling or flustered as he tried to put on a tough guy act. Instead, he leaned in and his arms lifted up to hug her back. She gave him a quick squeeze and broke away before he got too uncomfortable. However, she kept by his side with an arm around his shoulder.

"I've never seen him feed before," Edgar muttered.

"Ed," Sam began, talking slowly and being careful with his words. Edgar may have gone on about his brother being temperamental but Edgar was just the same. Easy to anger and easy to switch moods, even though his only dispositions appeared to be stoic or pissed off.

"You don't want to see him like this, do you?" Sam asked.

Edgar shook his head, remaining quiet. He looked drained of colour. A sickening paleness to his skin that came as soon as he guessed where Sam was heading with this conversation.

"We don't want to see Alan or Bernice like this," Sam said. "They're our friends and they didn't deserve what those vampires did to them. But they're not the friends we used to know. And with them and the rest of those vampires around, people are going to die. Bridget's not going to get cured."

"I know what you're saying," Edgar whispered.

"Don't get mad with me –."

"I'm not mad, Sam. I get it. I really do." He straightened and Bonnie dropped her arm. She nodded at the boys, tears welling up in her eyes and she wrapped her arms around herself, gripping onto her own arms.

"The only way we can guarantee none of those vampires ever bother us again is to kill them. If we're going to get Bridget back from San Diego, we need to help her return human. I'm sick of this stalemate position we're in," Edgar said. "We'll use this alliance. We need to get rid of Marko and Charlotte first. I hate it but if we keep this up, Logan's pack will help us get rid of them. Two vampires done and dusted. And then we get rid of the rest."

With every word, he straightened. His voice stronger and more determined than it had ever been. He felt like a cheesy superhero reciting a badly written monologue, just for the sake of prepping the audiences up but it was actually working. He had fumbled about, not diving straight into their recent vampire problem and it had gotten them nowhere. He had unwillingly sacrificed two friends and his younger brother to forces of the undead but it was time to sort it out now. They had an advantage with Logan's pack offering their strength and numbers to stop Marko and Charlotte. It was time to be sneaky and use that to get what they wanted. Maybe the vampires would manage to get rid of each other. Lessen the numbers at least. Last summer they started a war against vampires. It was time to finish it for good.

Even if it meant getting Alan and Bernice killed.

* * *

Bonnie's father had agreed to her little trip to San Diego. She was lucky his only concern was that she was going with Sam. There had been a stern lecture, making her swear that she was to get a motel room separate from him and no funny business would happen between them. She almost burst into laughter that her father was worried her and Sam would get up to no good, wanting to laugh even more when Mr Casey calmly tried to remind her that she was too young for any sort of serious relationship like that. But he agreed simply because he knew she could do with getting away for a weekend and cheer herself up by attending a comic event. He still grimaced when he saw Sam pull up with bags ready.

"Dad, I'll be starting college in September and moving out then," she said. "I'll be looking after myself."

"I know, I know. I just… after everything that's happened, I worry more. I want you to go and have some fun for once but I don't you want out of my sight either," he said and she threw her arms around him.

"I promise lots of phone calls. I'll keep you updated and we'll be back tomorrow," she said, stepping onto her tip toes to kiss his cheek. With a smile, she grabbed her bag and crutches before heading towards Sam who was already out of the car and ready to help her with her luggage. Edgar stood by the boot.

"I'll keep an eye on him," he said to Bonnie. "Make sure he's safe."

"Thanks. I'll give you the motel number when we get in so you can keep us up-to-date too."

"Have you got all the weapons you need?" Edgar asked.

"I've checked all mine," Sam said and Bonnie smiled.

"Me too. We're being careful."

"Just making sure," Edgar said. He flashed a rare but brief smile and patted them both on the backs. "Good luck."

"You too," Sam said, smiling and he peered around Bonnie to wave to Mr Casey. Her father watched them, still with a grimace on his face that he was trying to turn into a smile. Bonnie shook her head, chuckling but inside she felt like cringing as well. It was a worry to leave her father alone like this, with the only protection being Edgar who also had to watch his own family. She kept herself hopeful that he would be okay but her stomach fluttered at the thought of going. She took in a deep breath when she slid into the passenger's seat of Sam's car and began biting the nail of her little finger.

"Everything's going to be okay," he said and she nodded, forcing a smile when he patted her knee.

"I hope so," she whispered and let her head rest back.

The six hour journey was tiring and by the time they reached San Diego, they felt like their legs had turned to wood, stiff and unable to move. Their backs ached, frozen into a sitting position and despite being sixteen and eighteen, they groaned like an elderly couple as they practically crawled out of the car and brought movement back to their limbs.

They had only stopped once for food and the bathroom with Sam determined to get to San Diego as soon as possible. Grumbling about the lack of movement, they both stopped when Sam finally pulled outside the motel Bridget said she was staying at.

"That was painful," Bonnie groaned. She arched her back, hands resting on her hips and her nose wrinkled at how stiff she was. It felt like moulding tough clay. Sam cringed as he paced about, bringing some flexibility back into his legs.

"I think my ass is numb," he said and Bonnie snorted.

"Fantastic image, Sam," she said and nodded to the boot. "Come on, let's get our stuff and get to Bridget."

They dragged their luggage over the motel reception where a man was already coming out to greet him. He flashed them a welcoming smile, even stretching out his arms before clapping his hands together.

"You two kids looking for a room?" he asked.

"Actually, we're just here for a friend," Sam said. "I mean, we'll be staying the night but if it's okay to bunk with our friend –."

"Son, I do run a business here. We have a spare room that you can pay for –."

"They can stay with me," Bridget said. She came marching down the steps, hands on her hips as she smiled at the motel owner. It gave Bonnie a shudder down her spine at how icy her friend smiled. There was no emotion in it whatsoever. "Right? It's fine if they crash with me. They don't need another room."

"What are you doing?" Sam asked but Bridget held a hand up. She kept her gaze on the owner and repeated her last words, stepping closer as she did so. Bonnie and Sam watched the man relax in his posture, his eyes glazing over. He stared right back at Bridget but it didn't look like he was actually seeing her. Slowly, he nodded.

"Absolutely fine. You know where I am if you kids need anything." With an idle wave, he staggered back to the reception.

"What the hell was that?" Bonnie asked.

"What? He was going to charge you for a room. I have a perfectly good one we can all share," Bridget said and gestured to them. "Come on. I'll fill you in on everything."

"Bridget, you can't do that with people," Sam warned as they followed her. She turned back to them with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not harming them," she said and continued leading them to her motel room. Sam edged closer to Bonnie as they followed her, neither of them continuing the argument judging by the non-existent guilt in their friend. Sam shook his head when Bonnie glanced at him and she frowned, mentally agreeing with his disapproval.

"Just be careful," Bonnie said as Bridget led them into her motel room.

"It's just if I need a little help sometimes. Like when I don't have enough money to stay another night or if I don't want some adult looking into why I'm off by myself. It doesn't hurt them."

"I don't just mean you have to be careful with people. Be careful with yourself. Letting yourself use those abilities can be tempting. You get too used to it."

"I think I'm doing fine," Bridget argued. Her tone was brusque and there was a quick flash of amber in her eyes. Bonnie immediately raised her hands.

"I'm not insulting you."

Bridget continued to glare before she suddenly sighed and nodded. "No. No, I'm sorry. I just… I know I'm different."

"And Blake says there's no other cure?" Bonnie asked.

Bridget squeezed her eyes shut, biting down on her lower lip. Slowly, she shook her head. "There's only one way."

"We've been talking back at home," Sam explained. He took a seat on the bed which Bridget promptly moved away from. The way she clamped her lips shut and moved a hand across her stomach was enough to tell him why she had moved away. Maybe they should have paid for another room.

"What about?" Bridget asked.

"This so-called alliance is freaking fucked up," Bonnie said. "We need rid of all the vampires. Edgar's fed up. He's had it and we're going to act."

"Kill them all? But that's going to include…"

"I'm sorry. We might have to," Sam said, flinching when Bridget straightened. Her movement were swift, a cat-like agility that were almost too fast to catch with the naked eye. She didn't look angry… at the moment. She looked at them almost pleadingly. Desperation in her eyes that mentally begged them not to go that route. It was a fight inside her. Two different minds battling for dominance and the human part of her that was clutching on had to swiftly remind herself of what Blake had told her. Of what she had just admitted to.

"If you'd been fully human you wouldn't have wanted to see them like that," Bonnie said. "And they're so different. I hardly recognise them at times. They're not the same."

Bridget wanted to argue. Although the time spent with them as full vampires had only been for a night, they still had the same mannerisms. They sounded the same, looked the same and moved the same. She saw more of human Alan and Bernice in them than she expected.

Sam nodded to the bathroom, muttering that he needed to go. Bridget kept silent as he wandered to the bathroom and she heard the click of the lock after he shut it. She shuffled over to the bed again and dropped down. The old bed creaked underneath her.

"I know you don't like it but they're not Alan and Bernice anymore," Bonnie said. "You have to see it –."

"I've seen them," Bridget whispered and Bonnie frowned.

"Here?"

"No, back home. Before I left. I was with them that whole night after I got attacked and turned."

"You never said."

"Not in front of Edgar. He would have flipped and branded me a traitor. I wasn't betraying you all, honestly. I'd just been turned and I didn't know where else to go. I followed them." She ran a hand through her hair, messing the waves but kept her hand resting around the back of her neck. After shutting her eyes briefly, she stayed focused on the carpet. She could see a tiny spider scuttling along.

"I'm so confused," she said. "They seemed sort of different but it was still them. I wanted to stay."

Bonnie moved nearer to Bridget. She sat on the space next to her, observing her closely before shifting to move an arm around her friend's shoulder. Bridget tensed, slightly leaning away as her jaw tightened but she soon relaxed and allowed Bonnie to comfort her.

"We're your friends, you know. Edgar may be quick to judge but we all stick together. You could have come to any of us. We wouldn't have judged you or made you feel like the enemy. You only took shelter there. It was probably the best thing to do. You couldn't have gone home, you didn't trust yourself with any of us and I'm guessing Charlotte and Marko were really pissed off with everyone by then. I stayed with Marko's old pack once because it was the safest thing for me to do. No judgement."

Bridget had begun twisting a strand of her hair around with her fingertips. She closed her eyes again, a slight redness to her cheeks.

"I didn't just shelter for safety," she mumbled. "I slept with Alan."

She didn't look up, feeling Bonnie stiffen next to her. Slowly, her friend took her arm away and when Bridget glanced in the corner of her eye, Bonnie's eyebrows were raised in disbelief.

"He's a vampire," Bonnie reminded her.

"So am I," Bridget said.

"Half. You're not one of them. You're one of _us_."

"Are you seriously lecturing me? You and Bernice have totally had sex before –."

"It's not about going out and having sex in general. It's about getting that close with Alan and how you feel about him. We need to get rid of the whole pack and we need as many people on our side as possible. If we're going kill them, you have to let us."

Sam came back into the room, pausing as he walked back to a glaring contest between the two girls. Both looked equally annoyed before they finally looked at Sam and he waved unsurely at them.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"I need some air," Bridget muttered and swiftly stood up, storming outside. She sighed when she stepped out into the breeze and went to the railings. Hanging her head, she leaned against them, elbows balancing on the metal. Being outside felt like freedom again. Inside, she could hear the heartbeats of her friends, pounding in her head like drums. As Bonnie had moved closer to her, there was the urge to take a bite right out of her neck.

She felt judged. Like she had committed a crime. She knew herself she had to stay away from the vampires. They were one of the reasons she got the hell out of Santa Carla in the first place. But she was also angry, hoping Bonnie would understand.

The door to the motel room opened and Bridget caught a honey-like scent. She didn't glance back at Bonnie at all.

"When you were half, did you feel anything for Marko?" she asked Bonnie.

"I was too scared of him. My mind was purely on staying alive," Bonnie said. "And he threatened to kill me if I didn't turn. Not really a turn on."

Bridget gave a little snort and even Bonnie formed a laugh.

"It doesn't really help that Alan hasn't changed towards you, I guess," she said and nudged Bridget. "He keeps asking about you. Ever since you left."

"Is that a bad thing?" Bridget asked.

"It'll make things complicated," she said. "You still mean a lot to him."

Her friend groaned, hair hanging down like curtains as she dipped her head lower. "And I'm coming back to drive a stake through his heart."

She sighed, lifting her head up and ran a hand through her hair. Bonnie caught her friend's eye and saw a small tear trickle down her cheek. Her own vision blurred. The thought of killing two people who used to be her closest friends ripped her heart into pieces as well and even she wondered if any of them, herself included, would be strong enough to do it.

"This is so fucked up," Bridget muttered and used her palm to rub against her eyes.

"Agreed. Which is why we need each other for this," Bonnie said, placing a hand over Bridget's. She squeezed it gently. "Logan's split us up enough. I don't know about you but I'm tired of fighting."

Bridget gave a slow nod. "I am too."

Bonnie smiled before turning to look in the horizon and that was when Bridget bit her lip. Tired was an understatement. She was exhausted. Exhausted from fighting the hunger and she wanted it all to end.

Mostly by giving in to it.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. I'll be away next weekend so I'll be uploading Chapter 7 this Thursday instead. :)**


	8. Chapter 7

**Thank you to Silverheels12 and GlassMasquerade for reviewing!**

* * *

Edgar was holding his own at the comic store that night. He was lucky it was February and the Boardwalk was having its deserted and dead phase. There was hardly anybody out at night and the amusement park was closed for the winter season. He had only sold one comic that evening and it was getting near closing time. He yawned as he listened to Bonnie on the phone, eyes fluttering to stay awake. With endless hunts, school and work at the comic store, exhaustion had become an unwanted companion.

"How is she doing?" he asked, yawning again as he spoke.

"Struggling. With herself and with our plan."

"It has to be done."

"We all know that. But how hard is going to be to do that?"

Edgar sighed, resting against the glass counter. At the thought of what they needed to do, he felt his heart race. His words didn't match how he reacted mentally to the thought of killing Alan and Bernice. His palms sweated and his breathing shook.

"Edgar, are you okay?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm okay," he answered quietly.

"Are you sure? Ed, you can talk to me."

"I'm fine. Just keep an eye on Bridget and get her back here tomorrow. You _are_ keeping an eye on her, right?"

"Sam is at the moment. They've gone out to find Blake."

Edgar looked towards the shop's entrance, straightening at the sight of Logan and his pack coming into the store.

"I have to go," he whispered and slammed the phone down. Logan and Ruby strutted in with twin grins on their face. But Edgar's eyes were on Alan and Bernice who followed them in, Alan poker-faced as usual and Bernice actually dared to have a smile on her face.

"Are you two idiots? If somebody sees you –."

"The Boardwalk is pretty much a ghost town," Alan said and looked around. "Is Uncle Gerry working tonight?"

"He'll be coming back any minute. He's checking on Mom and Dad… who are relapsing again by the way."

Alan caught Edgar's eyes for a few seconds before he shrugged and glanced down at the floor. "Nothing new there."

"It's bad."

"It's always bad."

Edgar choked on his own words and attempted to get through to his brother one last time. "It's because they think you're dead. They're mourning and it's the only way they feel like they can cope."

His last attempt was a complete failure as Alan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Mom and Dad couldn't cope with anything in life. I was never sympathetic as a human so it's a waste of time trying to get through to me now."

"Can we put aside useless parents and this brotherly feud you two have going at the moment?" Logan asked with a sigh. He rolled his eyes as he leaned against the counter, continuing to speak in a flat voice to express his boredom at the argument Edgar and Alan started.

"I've seen a couple of the missing people show up around the Wharf. I've sensed vampire so we need to go put a stop to them. Two less saps in Marko's pathetic army if we can kill them quickly."

"Look, I'm working right now. And after this, I'm going home. I can't do another hunt tonight, okay? I'm exhausted," Edgar said, rubbing at his temples. He glared straight at Logan who grinned in his direction and he scowled in response. "Something funny?"

"Just how easy humans tire. You're quite a pitiful species."

Edgar grabbed a stack of comics on the counter, teeth gritting together. "Are you here for anything important or just to insult me? Because I really can't be bothered."

He turned, ready to move around and place them in the right aisle when he almost skidded to a stop. Ruby stood in his way, tall with her hands on her hips and hissed as soon as he got close. At the sight of her fangs, Edgar jumped back and the comics slipped from his hands and onto the floor, scattered and bent. If he wasn't being surrounded by four vampires, Edgar would have flipped his lid over creased pages. In the corner of his eye, he even caught Alan stiffening at the sight of the messy pile of comics on the floor. But just as quickly, Alan concentrated on Ruby and Edgar again and he decided to do the same thing.

 _Focus on the leeches,_ he thought.

" _What do you want?_ " he growled at them.

"We thought we needed to have a meeting. Get up to date with Marko and Charlotte. So call everyone and get them over here," Logan ordered.

Edgar raised an eyebrow. "You didn't say please."

"I really wouldn't try and be the funny guy, kid. Call your hunters. Now."

"No."

" _No?_ "

"I'll brief them tomorrow. Give them a break. Sam's got a lot of homework tonight and Bonnie isn't feeling well. You know she has relapses."

"Tough shit. She had a chance to become a vampire and get rid of it but the doll threw it away."

"I'm not dragging them down here," Edgar argued and he raised his chin. It was a feeble attempt to look like he wasn't going to be bossed around but he had to show his resistance somehow. All of his weapons were in a bag but Ruby was too close for him to move and get to them. He felt his fists clench in frustration.

 _Plus it's four against one,_ he added mentally.

"Because they're not actually here?" Logan asked.

Edgar could see Logan narrow his eyes as he stared. Maybe trying to catch a sign of nervousness from the hunter. A tell-tale sign that he knew where they were and what they were doing. Edgar refrained from scoffing. If there was one thing he knew how to do best it was remaining poker-faced and never showing emotion. Not a single flicker.

"I've been to their houses so I could drag them out for a meeting but they're not there. So where are they?" He raised a finger before Edgar could open his mouth. "Don't lie to me again, kid. Where are they?"

"If you don't want me to lie, fine. I won't." Edgar shrugged lightly before falling into silence. Logan leaned forward again, gesturing for Edgar to continue but the vampire hunter never said a word.

"Oh no you don't. Enough with the silence. Where have they gone?"

"What are you going to do? Kill me? Have fun sorting out Marko and Charlotte yourself."

A thin grin crept up on Logan's face. "I need numbers. Of course I'm not going to kill you. But maybe seeing your uncle or aunt buried six feet under will be motivation enough."

Now Edgar flinched. A slight tension in his jaw. Logan stared back calmly, continuing to grin and now waited patiently for answer. Edgar felt himself breaking. Crumbling into pieces at the threat and while he didn't want the vampires to go following Bonnie and Sam for Bridget, he also knew he didn't want the vampires to go anywhere near his family. A hunter protected his loved ones. He would have failed if he saw any members of his family dead. Or undead. When he looked towards his brother, he had hoped to see some concern at the threat towards his family. But like the other vampires, there was no emotion in his blank stare. Uncle Gerry or Aunt Pam could have walked into this store right now and Alan would probably stand there and watch Logan or Ruby drain them of every drop of blood.

 _Alan chose to kill. That's not your fault,_ he thought but quickly argued with himself.

 _Because you didn't find the Head Vampire in time._

A strong part of himself felt it was all his fault. But that didn't mean he should also have the blood on his uncle and aunt on his hands.

"They've just gone away for the weekend," he muttered.

"On a little holiday? Not at this crucial time," Logan said.

Now Bernice stepped forward, fingers gripping onto the edge of the counter. "It's Bridget, isn't it? They're bringing her home."

Edgar sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. Their threat wouldn't be a bluff. So he lifted his head and finally gave Logan the answers he wanted.

"They're bringing her home to _us._ Me, Bonnie and Sam. That's where she belongs."

"What's brought on a change of heart?" Logan asked. "I thought Bridget was fine on her own. Fighting the transformation."

"You said we need numbers. She's agreed to help out," Edgar lied. This one he could probably get away with. They knew Bridget was coming back. That truth he had no choice but to reveal if he didn't want to see Logan walk the walk with his threat. But they didn't have to know she was struggling to cope. He was uncomfortable at the thought of them knowing that. He expected the vampires to use that as a way of coaxing Bridget into finishing her transformation. No doubt they would anyway but he could see them really pushing if they knew how close she was to giving in.

"Perfect," Logan said. "Hopefully she's got over being freaked out. It's not doing her any good to stay half."

A huff escaped Edgar's mouth. He perfected his own sneer, eyebrows drawing together.

"You've taken too many of ours."

"In my defence, that wasn't going to be my plan. I was simply going to let the little dame become Charlotte's midnight snack. You're lucky these two were still too attached and saved her." He jerked a thumb in the direction of Bernice and Alan. Bernice smiled at Edgar, a proud smile as if he was supposed to be thankful of her actions. But it only meant he was down a vampire hunter. If Bridget ended up turning before they could kill Alan, it was only the three of them left. Edgar, Sam and Bonnie. And who knew how long Bonnie had before her condition developed into secondary progressive MS. She struggled already and frequently had to pass on hunts when she had a relapse. It was really only himself and Sam left.

"I have a different definition of saving," Edgar said.

"What's happened has happened, kid," Logan said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I won. I have your little gang split up. I turned two of your hunters and showed them a better life. And another one is about to join me because she won't want to die. It happened to us all. Being a vampire is hard to resist when you discover the perks and forget what it's like to be human. And don't forget how smitten these two are on each other. Think she'll drive a stake through his heart?" Again, he jerked a thumb towards Alan.

Edgar raised an eyebrow at Alan. "If you were human, you wouldn't have wanted this for her. You really want her to turn into a monster like you?"

There was a scowl on Alan's face. "Don't judge me for saving someone I care a lot about. You don't get it."

Edgar scoffed. "Vampires and feelings? They don't go together."

"When are they getting back?" Bernice asked.

"Tomorrow. Don't know when."

Bernice nodded, again smiling. Seeing Alan feed and kill an innocent human in front of him had been disturbing. Enough to plague him with nightmares since. But there was something unnerving in the way Bernice continued to cheerfully smile, hardly ever mentioning turning. There was nothing she seemed to regret and the undead creature she was now didn't seem to bother her.

"Anything else you wanted to bother me about?" Edgar asked. "I need to close up."

"I'm checking out some abandoned buildings on the outskirts of town tomorrow night. The old jail and some warehouses. Perfect place to hide if you're a vampire."

"Funny how _two_ vampires have managed to evade you."

"They're cowards. They know their outnumbered and that's what they're working on. Numbers. It's bad for the both of us. You'll have a town hosting a war between two different packs and an uncontrollable number of vampires, most of them brand new and learning to be in control. We'll have vampires exposed to the world and then we'll be the hunted."

"I'm not so fussed about the latter," Edgar said.

"Then maybe I'll force vampire blood down your throat and get you turned like us. You'll care when it's you on the lab table, kid," Logan warned. There was a rumble of a snarl in his throat and Edgar said no more. He had said enough to piss Logan off. Truth was, he was too drained to continue the snarky comments back. He grunted, looking away. More towards the entrance and back towards the vampires as a hint for them to leave.

"I'll see you all tomorrow night," Logan said. His grin was back on his face and the anger he had been showing a second ago had completely disappeared.

"Little sister included," Ruby added, laughing at the scowl Edgar had on his face and she darted around the corner, linking arms with Bernice. "How does it feel losing three of your own to vampires, Kermit?"

Edgar huffed, pressing his teeth together to refrain from making a comeback. He just wanted them gone, even if Logan and Ruby were chuckling and mocking him as he left. He sneaked one last glimpse of Alan and Bernice who whispered to each other and he saw the bright, excited smile on Bernice's face. Whether or not Bridget would have her own when she saw them he wasn't so sure. She was supposed to be coming to face the truth. That there was no other cure except kill the vampire who turned her.

His hands shook at the thought of putting Alan and Bernice to rest.

* * *

Imogen couldn't stop the pounding in her head. She had suffered migraines before. Dizzying ones that sent lights flashing in her vision and made her sick from the pain. But this felt different. She wasn't quite sure if the pounding was even in her head. It got louder whenever she got closer to someone. And the diner food smelt particularly delicious as she worked her late shift. Joe's Diner was a dive. In need of a complete refurbishment and meals that came with less grease. But it put money in her pocket and it was the only job that accepted her at the time. She really couldn't be bothered switching now when she was going to be quitting in a year and getting ready to move across the country for college.

As she served her last meal, popping the two plates down for the couple she waited on, her stomach made a loud groaning sound. A whine that rumbled on for seconds and followed with a shooting pain right through the centre and straight up to her head.

That definitely wasn't something she had experienced before.

A surge of panic washed over her. Was it something serious? Like an illness? A sign that something was wrong with her?

She stuffed her hands in her pockets, trying to stop them from shaking but right now every single illness she knew about was in her head. It was ridiculous since some of the conditions she was thinking about didn't even have this for a sign but that was always what her mind really needed. A strange symptom and she was ready for the panic attack.

"I'm really not feeling great," she said to her manager when he came back to the front.

"You haven't eaten anything from here, have you?" he asked.

She wrinkled her nose. "No. Why?"

"The meat looked a bit dodgy tonight," he answered, keeping his voice low so the remaining customers didn't hear. Imogen wanted to retch, picturing how strange the meat must have looked and she now watched the customers bite into their burgers. How on earth did this diner manage to stay open?

"I just feel – shit!" She gasped as drumming pounded right in her ears. Her hands reached up to cover them but the noise continued and different scents followed. Not quite the same but smells that reminded her of aromas she loved. She sniffed the air, feeling her stomach churn with hunger and another stab of pain swept through her again. It forced her to lurch forward, bending and hunching up as she wrapped her arms across her stomach to ease the pain. But nothing was helping it, even as she took deep breaths in and out.

"Imogen?" Her manager was by her side, steadying her. When he got closer, the scent intensified and she suddenly straightened, staring at him. Her eyes slowly traced to his neck. She wasn't sure why she wanted to look there but now she could see a long blue line, standing out on his skin. The drumming continued, quickened slightly and from the rhythmic thumping and the vein, she was slowly fixated. Unable to look away. A little voice whispered for her to step closer and she almost did when the bell to the diner door jingled.

"Bobby, you need to take her home," the manager said. Imogen swayed as he released her, shaking her head as she came back into reality and was suddenly aware of her boyfriend standing in front of her.

"Babe, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know. I have these awful stomach pains. And my head…"

"You still have a headache?"

"No, this is more than a headache. Something's wrong. I think I need the hospital."

"Okay, calm down. Because you usually need the hospital the minute something happens."

"No, I really need to see someone," she urged, gripping onto the material of his school jacket.

"Babe, remember when you took those painkillers two hours early? You rushed straight to the hospital thinking you were about to OD and die." He laughed, looking up at her manager who frowned and shook his head.

"Son, she's in serious pain."

Bobby waved a hand at him. "Honestly, she does this when she gets a headache. No tolerance for anything that doesn't make her feel well." He chuckled again but immediately cried out when Imogen moved away and punched him in the shoulder. It was a quick, harsh strike, stinging where she punched and he frowned at her.

"Babe, there's no need to –."

"Stop calling me babe and treating me like I'm a hypochondriac!" She straightened, suddenly feeling the pain die away and she took a deep breath out. Although she could still hear drumming and smelt something that reminded her of gingerbread in the air. She closed her eyes, sniffing and groaned.

"Something smells amazing," she said, licking her lips.

"Let's just get you home," Bobby said, wrapping an arm around her. She leaned in, burying her nose in the crook of his neck and breathed in through her nose.

" _You_ smell amazing," she added and smiled up at him. He felt her hand curl around his lower back and noticed her eyes kept lowering down towards his throat.

"Um, thanks? Come on."

He took her purse and jacket from the coat hanger, holding them for her as she latched herself onto him. He called out a goodbye to her manager, guiding her towards the exit. There was a sheepish smile forming on his face as he walked out, trying not to stare at the customers who had been fixated on Imogen since she panicked and cried out in pain earlier. Now they watched as she continued to bury her nose into his neck and inhale in, humming pleasantly.

"Is it a new cologne?" she asked.

"I don't have anything on."

She smiled. "You smell so good."

"Thanks… again?" He gripped her side and nodded to his car. He could hear something rumbling and when he leaned away, looking down at her he could have sworn that rumbling was coming from her throat. Like she was growling. But she stopped as suddenly as she started and she frowned up at him.

"Something wrong?"

"I thought you were in pain," Bobby said

"No, I'm fine now. I just want to go home. You're right. I was probably being silly."

She smiled again and Bobby tried to respond to it but ended up grimacing. Usually Imogen had a sweet, bright smile. One that lit up her face, showing off perfect, white teeth. It was one of his favourite things about her. Right now, it didn't seem to reach her eyes. It crept up her face slowly, lips slightly parting to reveal her teeth and maybe it was his imagination but her incisors looked a little longer.

He cleared his throat, looking away. "Home then," he mumbled and quickened his pace up.

* * *

Logan and his pack had gone down to the Wharf. Slightly busier than the Boardwalk with the restaurants still open but still not as chaotic and crowded as the spring and summer seasons. Alan kept his head down as did Bernice. She had her hair down, brushed and style to the side so it could hide part of her face. Her beret was large and floppy, covering almost the whole top of her head. Alan had a hood attached to his dark olive jacket which he kept up. It fell over his eyes, allowing him to peek out but keeping his face in slight shadow when he looked down.

They were searching for these missing people that Logan had spotted. Two women, both in their mid to late 20s. They had both been waitresses at a biker bar just outside of Santa Carla. Heavily dressed in leather and make-up. They were both too loud and obvious as a vampires, blatantly calling over humans and leading them away around the wharf. Logan could easily tell they were vampires. He had even seen one of the women grinning and flashing her fangs at one of her victims before she lured him down to the beach nearby. They were playing and having too much fun with their prey. Either Marko didn't care about being exposed or he was being an idiot and failing to be careful of who he turned. Logan figured the latter. If the boys had been stupid enough to be known around Santa Carla and started fights, he could imagine they were idiots when it came to turning. Like that homeless hippy and little boy they brought into their pack. Poor choice. A _really_ poor choice.

Bernice and Alan had grown on him. They were good, loyal members with good fighting techniques. But for years, it was only himself and Ruby. And that was nice. Small and easy. Just the two of them, not killing too many locals if they stayed in an area for long. If their pack was soon to grow to five members they would have to really think about feeding habits and killing. Maybe move around more so they were in areas for too long.

 _Dad will sort it out,_ he thought.

"They've liked it here," Logan said to the others. "It's real sloppy. They keep coming to this spot and luring victims away."

Ruby scoffed. "Dumb bitches."

"I can't believe Marko is allowing his pawns to act like this. It's going to cause trouble," Bernice said.

"Because the kid's plan is all wet." When Alan and Bernice glanced at him for a translation he added: "Flawed. Max never taught those boys to think about every inch of their plans. He had an idea and it was going to happen exactly the way he wanted it to. So those bratty sons of his were the same."

He looked at Alan. "You remember that first turned son? David. I was around last summer. I know how he swooped straight to Sam's house to attack because you staked Marko. It was stupid and he didn't think. He barged in with those other two vampires without any careful thinking and look what happened. One exploded, one melted and David got skewered like a fucking kebab."

Alan had to snort, feeling his lips twitch up in an amused smirk. Beside him, Ruby laughed as she also enjoyed the mental image.

"Losers," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"I guess they were angry," Bernice said and Logan nodded in agreement.

"And how! Angry as hell, doll. I get that." He sighed and swung an arm around her shoulder. "But unless you can still plan a good attack, anger can't drive the actions."

It was strange seeing a sixteen year old share wisdom and advice. But technically, Logan was only frozen at sixteen. He still identified as young. Referred to himself as a boy but there was still something mentally that had aged. His experience and time had still matured some part of his mind.

"There they are," Logan said, pointing towards a seafood restaurant. They all turned to where he was gesturing, spotting two women in their mid-20s. They were dressed in black with heavy make-up on their faces and hair styled wild and large. At first they had been responding to cat calls. Grinning at anyone who paid them any attention. But one of them, dark haired, now turned to Logan and nudged her friend. They both stared back at the pack with frowns on their faces before the other, a blonde, quirked her eyebrow up and leaned in to whisper in her friend's ear.

"You one of Marko's?" Logan asked.

His voice was quiet. If a human had been nearby they would have thought he was talking to the others around him. But with vampire hearing, a whisper was all that was needed for the women to hear and the dark haired one responded back.

"What's it to you?"

"Just not impressed on his choice of turns. You both look like hookers."

Ruby snorted beside him. Bernice glanced at Alan who remained poker-faced as he observed the confrontation and she attempted the same. If they were targeting these two tonight and getting rid she would rather have the fight over and done with as soon as possible.

"And you look like you need a babysitter," the blonde snarled. "You're all a bunch of kids."

"We _are_ teenagers," Logan said before his smirked widened. "But I still wouldn't assume anything. Tell you what? How about you get the fuck out of town and relocate somewhere else?"

The blonde snorted. "Like hell. We're from Santa Carla. Marko says we can have it all to ourselves."

Logan sighed. "You can't stay here. You'll be found out. And you'll expose us all. It won't be me taking a disliking to that. You'll have vampires from all over coming to bump you two birds off."

"Listen, brat. Santa Carla is ours. Marko wants to keep his territory. You can't have it."

"Ah, that territory story," Ruby said. "Whatever Marko tells you is a pack of lies. He was with us before he had a little tantrum and decided to make his own pack to get what he wanted. He's actually kinda dangerous. Like, he's just turning loads of people and not bothering to keep them in control. You're just his pawns and he's intending for you all to die."

"Marko said you'd tell lies like this. He just wanted somewhere to stay and you guys came in and destroyed everything he had."

Alan rolled his eyes. "Idiots. You're all gullible idiots and he knows that. That's why he picks you. Mentally, you're weak and easy to manipulate."

The dark haired girl hissed.

"You're terrifying," Alan muttered with a snarl on his lips. "Listen, we've given you a choice. You can get out or we're going to kill you."

"Not if you don't want people to see," the blonde said with a smile. She gestured to the wharf around her, nodding at passers-by.

"Don't want to fight in private?" Logan asked. "That's cowardly."

Ruby folded her arms. "This is your chance to kill the pack Marko wants dead. What do you think he'll say when you return and tell him you had the opportunity but didn't take it?"

The women scowled at them before Logan turned on his heel. "You're pathetic and Marko will realise you're pathetic. If you want Santa Carla, come and get it from us."

He nodded to everyone else to follow him, biting back a smirk. He glanced at his pack members and they headed for the secluded beach in the horizon. They could hear the two women arguing with each other, indecisive about following them or not.

 _Take the bait, you dumb birds,_ Logan thought. They were angered. Just the way he wanted them. And now they had to let their anger dominate their reasoning and go for the attack.

Sure enough when they reached the deserted area of the beach, quite a walk away from the Boardwalk and Wharf they heard screeching and turned to see the women flying after them.

"I really hope they didn't take to the sky in the middle of the wharf," Logan said, hanging his head. When he looked up after a deep sigh his face had completely changed. The freshness of his features had hardened and become more defined. High cheekbones and a forehead that angled down to bring shadow to his glowing eyes. He looked back at his pack who had all shifted their features. Out of habit, Alan and Bernice were already in their stances. They looked prepared to defend themselves with their eyes never leaving the two women.

Ruby was the only one who decided to move forward. She leaped up, flying in their direction and latched herself onto the blonde. Her arms went around the new vampire's waist who snarled and clawed at her skin. Like a limpet, Ruby clung on and forced her down to the ground. Already she was getting some punches and kicks in, wanting all the attacks to stay in control.

"Crazy bitch!" the blonde growled.

"Crazy and dangerous, Barbie doll," Ruby snarled back, grabbing the woman's leg and snapping it to an L shape. Skin split and bone popped out as the woman howled. Alan joined Ruby, hands clasping the blonde vampire's head as he began to twist and pull.

Bernice had let the dark haired girl attack first. The woman was careless in her moves, going for desperate swipes, one after another in the hope to hit her. There was no strategy to her moves. She was spontaneous, showing she was only desperate to get a good hit. Bernice had picked up on some of the woman's predictable moves. She always seemed to go for a leg kick straight after punching, turning to the side she wanted to use to lunge out. Her moves were fast so Bernice defended each hit, waiting for that perfect opportunity to attack herself.

"So much for a good fight. Your friend was too easy," Logan said.

That distracted the dark haired vampire. She whirled around. At first her wide glaring eyes were on Logan before she saw Alan ripping the head off her friend's body. She screamed, moving towards her dead friend but Logan stepped in front of her. Fangs bared, he reached around to grab her arms and locked her in an iron grip.

"If Marko wants to beat us, he'll need to find some vampires who aren't a bunch of saps," he said, hissing straight after. Bernice came behind the female vampire and took hold of her for Logan. He stepped back, putting a small distance between them as he slid a knife out of his belt. Without hesitation, he lunged forward and stuck the sharp blade right into her heart. Her veins erupted as if they were on fire. She screamed, blood leaking out of her mouth and eyes. Her body started to collapse into itself, shrinking. The dark haired women soon fell to the floor in a crumpled, bloody mess.

The pack set about gathering the bodies, kicking sand to get rid of the blood and heading to the ocean where the vampires would be dumped. That was two more vampires they had managed to get rid of but it wasn't a step closer. These newly turned vampires were working perfectly fine as distractions, tearing the pack away from actually finding Marko and Charlotte. But it wasn't a great achievement to them when Marko intended for his pawns to die.

What they really needed was Marko and Charlotte face-to-face if they really wanted to put a stop to everything.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to review. Chapter 8 will be up next Tuesday.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Huge thank you to snowflake2410 for reading and reviewing! :) And thank you to everyone else who has taken the time to read.**

* * *

Bridget led Sam into the comic store she had entered last night. The owner was there again, this time with a large kebab in his hand. She fought back warning the owner of eating so much greasy food. It didn't make the blood smell appeasing at all. But she held her tongue and reminded herself it was a good thing that the human didn't smell tasty to her.

"You again?" he asked. "I don't know where Blake is."

"Look, it's fine. We're friends of his," Bridget said. She leaned on the counter, eyes about to glow as she caught the owner's gaze but Sam's hand darted out to clamp around her wrist and he pulled her back.

"He honestly knows who we are," Sam said.

"It's fine. You can tell us," Bridget added, smiling up at the owner but Sam quickly covered her eyes and she cried out in protest. The owner frowned at the small commotion, pausing as he chewed.

"Thing is, I don't know myself –."

"Bro, it's cool. I know them," Blake said, appearing from the stockroom doorway. He raised an eyebrow at Sam's hands over Bridget's eyes but now that he had shown himself, the young vampire hunter took his hand away and swiftly moved to greet him with his hand outstretched.

"Hold it, pal," Blake muttered, glancing down at the pocket mirror in his hand. He saw his own grim face staring back at him before he tilted it in the direction of Bridget and Sam. The girl was almost invisible in the mirror but the young boy was clear. A complete reflection. He nodded, satisfied.

"Okay, you're fine," he grunted.

"Blake, Sam. Sam, Blake," Bridget said, although she continued to glare at Sam. Her eyes darted back to the owner who watched in slight confusion at the scene. He still kept gobbling down that soggy looking kebab and she flashed a little smirk.

"All that grease is bad for your blood," she said.

"Huh?"

"Hey!" Blake snapped as he shook Sam's hand. "In the back. Now."

"You seriously know these guys?" the owner asked.

"They're cool, bro. Honestly," Blake assured him.

"That kebab doesn't look so great," Bridget whispered as she passed the owner. She smirked again, before Blake gripped her arm and hauled her into the back room. The owner frowned, mouth agape in mid bite before he shook his head and gave a casual shrug. He went for another bite of kebab.

His teeth bit into something soft. Too soft for a kebab. And slimy. Soft and slimy where the juices squeezed out and dribbled down his fingers. He cringed, opening his eyes as he held the food away from him and a scream caught in his throat.

In his hands, plump and dripping with blood, were intestines.

* * *

"You little bitch," Blake growled at Bridget. He whipped out a stake, pointing it straight at her.

"Oh, come on. It was just a bit of fun," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You mind warped him to think he was eating intestines. He's spending the rest of the night with his head down a toilet thanks to you!"

Bridget was silent for a few seconds, lips faltering as they fought to smile and finally she spluttered, falling into a giggling fit before Sam sharply elbowed her.

"Not cool, Brid," he muttered.

She sighed at the two hunters. "I could have done a lot worse."

"You shouldn't have done anything at all," Blake snapped. "There was no reason to do that. You did it to fuck with him. And do you know what the sick part is? You're still enjoying it."

He took a step closer, still aiming his stake right at Bridget and her laughter settled as it came closer to her heart. Sam stood up from the stool, hands in the air and warily looking at the weapon.

"Dude, whoa."

"The guy was being fucking annoying," Bridget said, an attempt to reason but Sam and Blake both shook their heads at her. She frowned, struggling to see why they were so annoyed. She hadn't hurt the guy at all. It had only been a prank. The worst state he was in was throwing up the entire contents of his stomach. By tomorrow he would probably be over it and doing another late night shift in the store with something else that was just as unhealthy and grease coated.

"Brid, you shouldn't have done it. And you need to be careful. That wasn't you back then," Sam told her and she lost her smile. She lowered her head, staring with a frown on her face towards the door. But all she showed was confusion. The guilt didn't seem to appear and Sam watched her closely for the smallest of signs.

Nothing.

Blake still glared, a scowl that would match Edgar's. The stake was still in his hand and Bridget kept her eyes on it warily. Sam could see her fingers flexing. Her fingernails looked longer than they had been and he cleared his throat.

"Look, it's done. And like you said, the worst that's happened is you've made a guy throw up. Just don't do anything like that again. Especially if we're about to go home," Sam said.

"Home?" Blake asked.

"We've come to take Bridget back. You said there's no other cure for vampirism so we'll all have to do what we've been avoiding."

"Kill your boyfriend," Blake said and Bridget gave a slow nod. He noticed she had stiffened, tension building in her shoulders. "Afraid it's the only way."

"And we need numbers. The pack we've been dealing with has split and there have been more missing people. We think Marko and Charlotte are turning people for their own pack to fight us. The town's in danger with warring vampires."

"Marko and Charlotte?" Blake straightened in interest. "Vampires?"

"Charlotte used to be a student at our school. But she was turned recently," Sam explained.

"My former best friend turned psychotic vampire. The crazy bitch is obsessed with Alan. It's her fault he was turned," Bridget said. The mere talk of Charlotte made her eyes flash with amber, replacing the blue and Sam noticed the sharp points of her teeth.

"Marko was part of a different pack we killed last summer. He survived and long story short… shit's been happening since," he added.

"I'm coming with you," Blake said.

"You'll help us?" Sam asked and Blake nodded. While his face was blank, there was a clear sparkle in his eyes. A watery shine but he blinked the tears away quickly. It was a strange reaction and Sam opened his mouth to query but Blake began talking again.

"You said you need numbers. I'll help. Just point me to the vampires and I'll kill every one of them." As he spoke, he focused on Bridget. He took in her averted gaze. The subtle twitch in her jaw and the clench of her fists. Clear hesitation and Blake made a mental note of her reaction.

"Got a problem with that?" he asked, mainly directing his question to Bridget who briefly glanced up at him before shrugging.

"No problem. I want to be human again," she said.

Even Sam noticed how automatic her answer sounded. Like it was rehearsed and she was only saying it to please them. He hope that he was reading too much into it. Of course she was changing, becoming detached from humanity, but there was still a human part of her fighting. Sam figured if she didn't want to return human, she would have fed by now.

He continued to repeat that in his head.

* * *

Blake joined them in the morning, a quiet tap on the motel room and he barged in as soon as Sam opened the door. It was daylight but he kept his scarf up, concealing all but his eyes. When Sam shut the door, he finally brushed his hood down and tugged on his scarf to reveal his face. He took a quick scan of the room. Sam was at the door. An unfamiliar copper haired girl stood at the door to the bathroom and Bridget was curled up unconscious in the corner of a room.

Bonnie immediately stretched her hand out with a wide beam. "Blake? Hi!"

Her friendly welcome only got the response of Holy water in her face. She squeaked, eyes clamped shut before slowly opening them and wiped the water of her face with the back of her hand.

"Okay, you're cool," Blake said.

"And you're definitely going to get on with a friend of mine," Bonnie replied. "So, you're this mysterious comic book writer slash vampire hunter. We sell all your comics at the store."

Blake had been poker-faced before, not even apologising or looking sheepish for throwing water in Bonnie's face. But at the mention of his comics, he flashed a small smile.

"You do? Thanks."

"More like shove them into the hands of customers as a warning," Sam muttered.

"You only published a few," Bonnie said. "How come?"

"I gave it up. Vampires don't like to be known," Blake said but offered no more of an explanation. He shrugged and dumped his bags on the bed before catching sight of the bin, filled to the brim with blood bags and his gaze made its way over to the sleeping half vampire.

"Is she drinking blood?" he asked.

Bonnie sighed. "Blood bags from the hospital. She thinks it will help with the cravings."

"She's just arrived here. There's at least six in that bin."

"Exactly the reason we're here to take her home," Sam said.

Blake stiffed, inhaling sharply through his nose. He observed Bridget in the corner, taking in her stark white skin. She looked like she had been pinched from the local morgue. He could see the gauntness in her cheeks, the shadowy trace of her bones and bruising under her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days. Thin blue veins were prominent, scattered across her throat and arms.

"You're losing her," he said and turned to face the two hunters. "And I wouldn't trust her when it comes to getting rid of these vampires. She's torn and I'd bet all my money that when it actually comes down to it, she'll decide to stop you from killing those bloodsuckers."

"You think she's still going to make it hard?" Bonnie asked.

"There's never any point being optimistic with vampires. And seeing as you guys haven't gone ahead and staked any of them, you lot are also struggling to let go and put your friends to rest."

He raised an eyebrow, expecting an argument and looked back and forth between Bonnie and Sam. The two teenagers shared a look, one of mutual guilt that they hadn't been able to do their job properly.

"And you know it," he said. "I don't have any history with this pack. To me, they're the walking undead. Evil soul sucking monsters. Let me do it. I can drive the stakes through their hearts."

"We could do with someone without a connection," Sam said. "If you're offering."

"No sweat. Just point me in the right direction." He paused, looking back at Bridget again. "And hopefully we can kill them in time before that one decides to rip a chunk out of someone's neck."

As if a switch was flicked in him, he brightened up. The stern, intense gazes that made him look like Edgar's clone disappeared and he actually had a wide, toothy beam. He clapped his hands, rubbing them together with an eager glint in his eyes and gestured to his bags.

"Shall we get going then? Wake the fang face up?"

Bonnie sighed, a quick scowl at Blake's language. "Her name is Bridget. And she's my best friend so can you avoid the name calling? We've tried waking her up. It's like she's in a freaking coma. We're just going to have to carry her out and dump her in the car."

"Not going to look suspicious at all," Blake muttered.

"Well, then go distract the motel owner for us," she said and made a quick flick of her wrist that signalled him to scram and get on with the distraction.

"Are all of you Santa Carla teens this bossy?" He gestured to the bin. "I'd get rid of those if I were you. Unless you want the motel owner freaking out and calling the cops."

Before he left, he flashed a smirk at the two teenagers and Bonnie blinked in surprise. Blake was someone she had never seen before in her life, only ever knowing what he looked like from his author photograph on the back of his comics. But when he smirked, she had a feeling she had seen him before. Somewhere. Of course she had to remind herself that it was impossible. But something about the way he looked when he smiled looked very familiar.

"You okay?" Sam asked as Blake left and she shook her head.

"Um… yeah."

"You seemed to blank out there."

"I'm fine," she said. "Come on, let's get this room sorted."

Sam sorted the bin out, stuffing the blood bags into a plastic bag and taking it out into the streets, dumping them in a trash can on the corner. Blake was in the motel reception, casually talking with the motel owner who seemed interested enough in the conversation but at the same time kept a wary distance from this strange young man who had waltzed in and randomly began to talk.

"The owner's distracted," Sam said, walking back into the motel room. "Shall we get sleepy head into the car first and then grab all the bags and stuff?"

Bonnie gave Bridget another prod in the shoulder. A harsh jab that received no response or reaction. Her friend continued to sleep in the corner and Bonnie stood straight to sigh.

"We'll have to carry her out," she said. "She's sleeping like the freaking dead."

At her words, Sam cringed while Bonnie paused, frowning at her choice of words before she laughed nervously.

"Sorry. Pun _not_ intended."

Bridget may have had a slim frame but it still took Bonnie and Sam to lift her up. Her body remained relaxed, slumped against them as they hauled her up and threw her arms around both of their shoulders. Her grubby converse scraped against the ground as they dragged her and Bonnie cursed for a brief moment that she just had to get the room upstairs. They caught sight of Blake in the reception and they locked eyes with him for a second. Blake cleared his throat and began pointing to a shelf of leaflets.

"So, if I was interested in any museums around here…"

"Go, go, go!" Bonnie hissed at Sam and they quickened their pace, dragging Bridget down the staircase as soon as the owner went to go pick out some leaflets. Bonnie shifted Bridget so she was fully leaning on Sam as she went to unlock the car door, glimpsing around for any unwanted attention from residents.

"Help me get her in," Sam said. Together they eased Bridget down, bending her body to shove her in the back. She collapsed to the side, spread out across the seats and they shut the door, leaving her there for now.

"At least she'll be asleep for the drive. We won't have to worry about her pouncing from behind and tearing into our throats," Sam said and tried to smile about the situation. Instead it was more of a cringe and his attempt at optimism didn't calm his friend down at all.

Bonnie could only respond with a nervous whimper and a sickening feeling creeping up in her stomach.

* * *

The sky was darkening as Sam finally pulled up at his house. It was a risk but he had insisted on keeping Bridget there so he could keep an eye on her, much to the nervousness of his mother and wariness of his Grandpa. The problem was that Bernice and Alan had a tendency to lurk around Bonnie, knowing she was the one who kept in contact with Bridget and Edgar refused to have a half vampire in his house. Especially one that was responsible for getting Alan captured by the vampires who forced him to make his first kill. Hence, Bridget's only choices were to stay at Sam's or find her own shelter. If she was forced into the latter, none of them would rest peacefully if they couldn't keep watch.

"Has Edgar promised to keep his mouth shut?" Bridget asked. She had been awake since the sun began to set and Sam drove past the welcome sign to Santa Carla. The large board with the cheery greeting still boasted the red graffiti at the back, dubbing the town as the Murder Capital of the World and now had even more negative comments. Someone had recently sprayed across Santa Carla and written the word 'Hell' on top.

Police hadn't been impressed, nor had the mayor but the town _was_ turning into hell. A large graveyard for dozens of missing people thanks to two vampire packs. People were sensing something was up with their crime ridden town, more so than usual. Curfews had been set for teenagers and Sam had noticed that the shops were closing earlier, even some on the Boardwalk. The increasing number of vampires in the town again was having a drastic effect on the mortality rate.

"Just expect Edgar to be Edgar," Sam warned as he slowed to a stop outside his house. He glanced up at the grey sky, then towards the burnt orange and purple where the sun was gradually dipping down into the horizon.

"Let's get in before we get visitors," Sam said and Bridget sighed in the back.

"They're gonna find me eventually. They know I'm coming back. Alan can probably sense me by now."

"Doesn't mean you have to go with them if they come," Bonnie reminded her.

"What if I do?" Bridget asked. Since she woke up, slightly energised by the approaching night and seeing the familiar streets of Santa Carla, her mind had been on two people. Bernice and Alan. It had been almost a week but she missed being able to talk to them. She wanted those nights back where she and Bernice would stay up with popcorn and films, spending sisterly time together and talking about everything and anything. She also wanted those nights she hung out with Alan. Just the two of them where Alan would assign her with a list of comics he wanted her to read.

She had toyed with the idea of connecting to him. Using his blood in her veins to switch on their link and communicate. Hear his voice for the first time in what felt like ages. But she kept her mind blank and forced herself to stay distant. It didn't stop her thinking about him though. The small smile he liked to flash, never really one to properly smile. It was almost a blink and you could miss it smile. She remembered the way he held her, gently and almost unsure if he should do it but quickly gaining the confidence to pull her firmly into a hug. Thinking about his hugs led to his kisses. Again, always seeming to start out unsure but once he kissed her there was no turning back. He'd continue with confidence, allowing every emotion he felt pour into that kiss.

Bridget snapped herself out of her thoughts, realising she had been touching her lips with her fingers.

"Tough shit. They're bloodsuckers now. I don't care how much you miss screwing your fang face boyfriend. Don't think about dick and toughen up," Blake said and Bridget wrinkled her nose.

"Dude, that's gross."

"Brid, we probably couldn't stop you from going," Bonnie admitted, turning to face her. "All I can say is unless you want to spend forever with blood on your hands and murdering innocent people, don't go to them."

Bonnie's speech almost convinced her. But it didn't stop the butterflies she felt from seeing two people she cared a lot about. She kept quiet though, following everyone out and heading towards Sam's house.

His grandpa's place was an interesting spot. Still a keen taxidermist, stuffed animals were placed on show everywhere. Around the house a fencing had been put, only it wasn't a typical white picket fence. Sam's grandpa, Jonas Burke, had put up a defence around the property. Thick stakes with the pointed end upwards.

Mr Burke was known around town as the loony hermit. When students at the high school found out who Sam was really related to the teasing began straight away. It helped that Sam knew the truth about his grandfather's hostile reputation. Vampire hunters could stay hunters for too long. Aging came with difficulties and Jonas Burke wasn't the hunter he used to be. But it didn't mean he could still defend himself. He had plenty weapons, one an old crossbow that Sam now possessed with pride. And he knew to stay away from town. For a man his age, it was the best way to survive. Take a step back. There was regret, not being able to save people like he used to but now he had his grandson taking over with Edgar and Bonnie.

Bridget was always torn. The place always looked pretty cool… yet also pretty creepy.

But the worst thing she was about to face was Edgar, already standing at the doorway with his arms folded and his mouth formed into a tight, thin line. The tension of his shoulders and glaring eyes showed a hunter who was not going to be civil or friendly towards her.

"Who's the sour-face?" Blake asked her.

Bridget had to grin. "Your clone."

"I'm not sour-faced."

She chuckled, reaching into the back for her bag and tossed it with ease around her shoulder. Bonnie and Sam were already walking up to the house where Edgar greeted them but fell silent when Bridget came up. A suspicious eyebrow rose up when he saw Blake.

"You the comic book writer?" he asked in a voice that sounded like it smoked twenty packs a day.

"Slash store cashier, slash vampire hunter," Blake said. "I don't write and draw comics anymore actually." He mimicked Edgar's raised eyebrow, eyes travelling up and down the teenager.

"You Rambo?" Blake asked and Edgar's nostrils flared.

"Edgar Frog. Vampire hunter."

"Slash high school student, slash comic nerd and cashier," Bridget muttered and Edgar turned his eyes on her. She flashed a small smile. "Hey."

Edgar took in her state. "You look like Night of the Living Dead."

She snorted. "Nice to see you too."

"You hungry?"

"It's been two weeks. What do you think?"

He pointed a stake at her. "There are innocent people in this house. People I've saved before and don't deserve any shit with leeches."

She frowned at his words, lips curling up. "Don't call me a leech, Edgar."

"You keep your fangs to yourself or that's it. You're on the streets finding your own shelter. Got that?"

She glowered back, lips still curled to bare her teeth and she wanted, at that moment, to take that stake and drive it right through Edgar's heart. But he was only doing what they would all do. Being vampire hunters and protecting their loved ones. Still, being judged like that gave her a good idea of how Alan must have felt and what he went through when turning. She was getting the same mistrust everyone had showed him, even though this had been forced upon her. She had been a half vampire for two weeks. Surely that should have told everyone she was continuing to fight.

"Got it," she muttered. "I'm assuming you're not inviting me in?"

"No way," Edgar said before turning to go back inside.

Bridget nudged Sam, eyes expectant and she nodded to the house. But her friend shook his head.

"I can't invite you in. Sorry," he said, quick to apologise when she began to open her mouth, presumably to protest the decision.

"You'd do the same if you were completely human," he said.

Bridget folded her arms, hugging herself and ducked her head. "It still feels pretty shitty."

She could feel the difference of being in a private building without an invitation. She had become used to asking for invites and getting them from motel owners, mainly by a little manipulation. Entering a building uninvited felt like there was a force on her, trying to push her out. She could sense her limits and that she wasn't really welcome. Completely aware that if there was any weapon around to do damage to her, she would be harmed by it.

 _Maybe you should make them invite you in,_ she thought.

She chewed on her lip, partly tempted but she had to force herself to stand back. They were supposed to be her friends, the ones she should side with. It would be an act of betrayal to mind control them into inviting her.

Michael and Star were present, helping Lucy set out the dinner table. She saw their gazes turn towards her, almost curious and wary at first. Michael gave a brief nod to her while Lucy flashed a welcoming smile although Bridget noticed how the corners of her lips faltered. She sighed to herself, folding her arms. This was probably something she would have to get used to if she planned on staying home again. The mistrust and wariness from her friends because of what she was.

Star smiled sympathetically, leaving the plates to come over and greet her. Her arms stretching out for a hug and Bridget reluctantly allowed the older girl to sweep her into her arms. She cringed, holding her breath at the scent of Star's blood, sweet like butterscotch and cream, and couldn't help focus on the pounding of the girl's pulse. She suddenly squirmed, pushing Star away.

"Sorry. That's not a good idea," she said and Star nodded.

"I remember," she said. "You're doing well though."

"Oh, really well," Blake said and his tone reeked of mockery. "She tried to attack me."

"How close have you been getting to killing?" Edgar asked.

"It was one slip. I thought he was some rapist or mugger after me," Bridget explained, hoping that was reason enough but she saw Edgar's lip curl up in disgust. "I'm not the first half vampire to almost go through with it, okay? You have no idea what this is like."

"Some of us have been in that position too," Star reminded Edgar.

"It's not so black and white, Ed. We can help her. Like you helped me, Laddie, Michael and Star," Bonnie added. "And we all came too close as well."

"While I don't particularly like helping out bloodsuckers, even half vamps for that matter, the little punk isn't going to become human without our help," Blake said. "We know who turned her so we have a job to do." He mimicked driving a stake through a vampire's heart, complete with exaggerated groaning and tongue sticking out for added effect.

"We need to act fast and drive a stake through that fucker's heart," he said once he had finished the charades.

He caught different reactions straight away. The first was the parted mouth and raised eyebrows from who he assumed to be Sam's mother. She pressed her lips together, now frowning. Her distaste at his language was clear but he shrugged it off. Bonnie and Sam glanced at each other, a brief catch of each other's eyes before darting away to look elsewhere. They remained silent. Hesitant.

Bridget and Edgar were more vocal. There was a growl from his left which he pinpointed coming from the only source possible to make such a feral rumble. The moody, impulsive half vampire he had reluctantly come to accept saving. The vampire hunter, the one who stood with his arms folded and feet apart in a clear authoritative stance, protested with a cry.

"Hey! That's still my brother you're talking about."

"That guy you're calling a 'fucker' was just trying to save me!"

He turned to Bridget first. "Save you? I'm sorry, Bride of Dracula, but that wasn't saving. You're turning into a monster. Don't argue. You are. You were ready to kill me last night and you've been mind fucking with humans either to get something or just for a laugh. He didn't save you. He damned you."

He faced Edgar. "Your brother is dead. Got that? And he's not at rest either. It sucks that you couldn't save him but it's too late. He's already turned someone and killed God knows how many innocent people so far. He's one of them now and you need to man up and put a stop to it."

Edgar sneered at him. "Who the hell do you think you are, man?"

Blake outstretched his arms, a beam on his face and not once looking guilty about speaking his mind. "Knight in shining armour. I'm here to help you put a stop to the bloodsuckers."

* * *

"I don't like him," Edgar muttered. The group had congregated into Sam's bedroom, leaving Blake to smoke outside. Edgar peered out of the window, watching Blake saunter about the property and take long drags of his cigarette.

"Funny. We thought you two would get on," Bridget muttered.

"Why?"

She shook her head, fighting back a grin. "No reason. Just thought you would."

"Can he be trusted?" Edgar asked, sitting back down on Sam's bed.

"Trust me, he's a vampire hunter alright," Bridget said.

"What were you doing attacking him?"

She sighed, lifting one knee to rest her hands and cheek on. "Like I said, I thought he was going to harm me. My instincts kicked in. I stopped as soon as I knew who he was, I swear!"

"That doesn't make the situation better. You're giving in to that vampire side which we could do without," he said.

"We should be able to fix things now," Sam said. He sat on the floor, back against his bed and flicked through a comic. One of Blake's. "These comics are pretty bad but I kinda want him to sign them as well."

"He only published a few before he stopped. Do we know why?" Bonnie asked but everyone shrugged.

"He's been pretty mysterious," Bridget said. "I don't know much about him."

"What's he like as a hunter?" Edgar queried.

"Good. Fast reflexes. Knows his shit," she answered and he gave a nod of approval.

"It's nice to have some extra help." He exhaled out from his nose, slipping off his bandana and tossing it aside. "Having just the three of us felt very small. Outnumbered."

"You've seen a lot of them, haven't you?" Bridget asked.

"Alan and Bernice? Yeah. It's been freaking weird. You can tell there's something… off about them," Bonnie said.

"What's Bernie like?"

"Same really. She still seems really gentle. Concerned about you. Still dresses like her old self. But she's also a vampire. She kills, hunts and drinks blood. Same with Alan. He's been worried about you and whenever the whole pack is around he's quiet, like he always was. But…" Bonnie glanced at Edgar who shuddered as he was forced to think about that night he saw his brother feed. The monstrous, bloody face of what used to be Alan leering right in front of him. He swallowed, fighting back the need to retch as he thought about the mess. The blood that dripped off Alan's chin, staining his teeth. The corpse that lay dumped on the ground.

"But he's a cold-blooded killer. Says he's glad he made the first kill," Edgar finished.

If she had been human, Bridget would have been absolutely horrified to hear that. That her best friend turned boyfriend was happier as a vampire. It went against the person she had become close to within the last eight months. A vampire hunter who had sworn to protect Santa Carla. But now she was different. Vampire blood ran through her veins and she found herself understanding why Alan felt much better. Wanting blood was agony. Literally agony. Her body ached, her stomach cramped as if knives were slicing right through her. It felt like her throat was on fire and closing up when she felt really thirsty. It wasn't just a dry throat on a hot summer's day. She knew herself she would feel better if she went ahead and gave in, leaving humanity and her worries behind. A weight off her shoulders. She could say that she would be back to her normal self if they succeeded in returning her human but after the thoughts she had, those awful, violent thoughts where she wanted to chew into someone's neck and drain them of every drop of blood, would she ever be able to be the same person she was before she drank Alan's blood?

She felt a foot nudge hers and she looked at Bonnie.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

"No. I have to let you guys kill two people I care about so much." Her vision blurred and she sniffed, feeling tiny drops roll down her cheeks. "It's not supposed to be like this."

Bonnie edged closer on the bed, wrapping an arm around her friend's shoulders. Bridget let a sob escape, reaching up to grasp her friend's hand.

"I hate this too," Bonnie murmured.

"We all do," Edgar said. He had gone back to leaning against the window and glanced at the girls. His eyes were watery and one tiny tear drop was allowed to squeeze out. "Blake better be up for this damn job because I can't even stomach putting a stop to my own brother."

His voice faltered, cracking as he spoke. "That's still Alan," he admitted. "I don't want to see him die, even if that means letting him roam the streets as a bloodsucker."

"I don't think I could have killed Michael," Sam added quietly.

Bonnie began to stroke Bridget's hair, giving her a reassuring kiss on the forehead. "It's going to be tough on all of us."

"It's not fair. I like him. Properly like him. We should be going out on dates and…" She sobbed again, leaning into Bonnie. "And that's my sister. What am I going to do without her?"

There was silence from all of them. A wave of uneasy quietness as they thought about the situation they were facing. It was easy to kill a random vampire. They didn't know who they were before that first kill. How scared they might have been. What their life was like as a human. It was better though to not know who they were. But two of the vampires they were about to kill used to be their own. It was a whole different scenario. One that was going to haunt them from the rest of their lives.

It was never going to be okay ever again.

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 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Going back to the regular Saturday updates so Chapter 9 will be posted on Halloween! :)**


	10. Chapter 9

**Thank you to Raindrop (response below) and snowflake2410 for reviewing! You two are sweeties. :) Thank you to everyone else who took the time to read the last chapter. And... HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! Hope you have loads of fun tonight! =D**

 **Raindrop: *Fist pump* Probably sounds weird but that means so much that it's hard to know who to root for. Some of my favourite fiction has had me doing** **exactly** **that so it's amazing to know this story is having that reaction. :) Aha, so you've picked up on something with Blake. Only time shall tell... =D**

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There were drumming sounds everywhere. Constant. In her head. Slow, peaceful rhythms as everyone drifted off to sleep. It was still night. Plenty more hours to go before sun rose and she was doubtful that she would be able to cope with the hypnotic beats for much longer. A few times as she concentrated on the pounding, she felt the sting of her fangs pricking against her bottom lip. With a growl, Bridget got up from her chair and headed for the front door.

 _Fuck it,_ she thought.

Blake was snoring on the sofa, mouth agape and his right arm hung down, just brushing the floor with his knuckles. She crept silently, quick and agile towards the door. There was hardly a stir from Blake or anyone else in Sam's house as she sneaked out into the night.

Being out at this time was freedom. Having been born and raised in Santa Carla, Bridget already preferred night time. It had always been active with most businesses, around the Boardwalk especially, waiting until the sun set to open. But since becoming a half vampire she found the night to be peaceful and, if she went to the right areas, deserted. There was no hustle and bustle of the day. Night was alive and it was when _she_ felt alive now. Plus it was beautiful. A sheet of twinkling stars that she could see all around her. Clusters that sparkled.

Bonnie never mentioned how amazing everything suddenly looked as a half vampire. How powerful the senses became. All she had ever known about was the hunger. The fight inside as the human half and vampire half fought for dominancy. The obsessive urge for blood. Bridget had to admit there was a beauty to the night around her that she was always astounded at and wondered why she had never been told about it.

She flew to the centre of Santa Carla, away from the Boardwalk and crowds. The heart of her hometown was almost silent and deserted. It boasted high street shops that had normal opening times compared to the stores and stalls down at the Boardwalk. There were a few coffee shops and cafes dotted around, closed at the moment for night time and a small cinema that only had the one room. It frequently showed more old films than new.

The centre also had two bars, but even they closed early as the crowds were more drawn to the bars and clubs further downtown and closer to the boardwalk. Right now, the last of the drunken crowds were staggering out, being shooed away by the exhausted staff. The small groups were the only thing loud in the area. As they wobbled closer, heart beats pounded in her ears and she caught whiffs of alcohol filled blood. It gave off a tangy scent. Her stomach cramped but at least she wasn't surrounded by bigger crowds. And blood tainted with alcohol wasn't the most appeasing scent. Another plus.

The crowd staggered closer and Bridget kept on strolling. They were a group of four. Three males and one female. About college aged. They talked louder than they probably needed to and were all smiles and giggles.

Bridget cast her eyes down, a brief wonder on whether she would ever get to do that now. Go to college. Have drunken nights out. Grow older. She didn't have a major or career in mind. Simply interests but two weeks ago she still had those choices to make and she missed that.

As she passed, one of the college students staggered into her. He appeared to trip over his own feet, falling sideways and mumbling an apology as he did so. She felt the brush against her, knocking her sideways. At the sudden shove she received, even though it was accidental, anger flared inside of her. She was lucky her instincts reacted quickly and she moved so she managed to stay steadily on both feet. Unfortunately, they kept reacting, too fast for her mind to actually process what she was doing. When his shoulders slammed into hers, she recoiled away. Her lips pulled back from her teeth as she growled at him. Really growled. The kind of growl an angry wolf would make. It was pure animal and she couldn't even stop herself from doing it.

"Whoa – hey!" the student protested, lifting his hands up. He looked her way but swayed and squinted.

" _Watch where you're going, you fucking idiot,_ " Bridget hissed at him and stretched her arms out to shove him.

"Oi! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

With all eyes on her, the anger washed away. Her breathing slowed and the scowl she wore softened. Her expression turned to shock as she back away.

"Nothing," she muttered. "Sorry."

Quickly, she turned on her heel and shoved her hands into her pockets, unable to trust that she could keep herself from using them to wrap around the boy's neck. She continued to march off. Her pace quickened as she headed around a corner but a groan escaped her when she heard determined footsteps behind her.

"Hey, bitch! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I really wouldn't try it on," she warned the student and kept walking. The anger this young man was letting build up in himself didn't help his blood. It washed through his veins as it pounded from adrenaline and it smelt incredible. Mouth-watering.

He was wired. Ready for a fight and it was making his blood richer, washing away the tangy alcohol. Her teeth started to lengthen as she pictured herself draining away every drop. Inhaling his scent, she found herself growling again. If he didn't walk away now…

 _You're tired of fighting. Just stop caring._

A hand brushed against her arm. She had slowed down, allowing the student to catch up to her and just as he reached for her, she struck.

Her hand wrapped around his wrist in a tight grip as she spun around. She gave one quick jerk to the side and there was a sickening snap of bones breaking. His howls echoed the streets of the town centre and he collapsed to the ground, writhing and gingerly touching his broken wrist.

"I warned you," she whispered in a voice that was dark and low. "I'm really not the kind of person you want to be messing with."

"Bitch," the young man hissed. Despite his injury, he had another go at her. He leaped up, ready to take another swipe as he reached towards her with his unbroken hand. She had started stretching her hands out to grab at him again when the wind picked up and feet landed on the ground. The young man was immediately pulled backwards onto the pavement.

Bridget blinked, frozen in reaching out. She stared at the student falling back, listening to his shrieks when he landed on his side, crushing his broken wrist under his weight. While he cried out, she looked up. Eyes straight to the person who had joined in with the fight.

Alan grinned in response to her widening eyes. She felt her lips tugging into her own smile. Unable to help or even care to control it, her heart sped up purely by being able to see him again. She revelled in every detail. His dark hair, black like the night sky and a contrast to his pale skin. Those brown, observant eyes that creased in the corners as he beamed at her. That rare beam that he only saved for the ones closest to him. She loved that smile. It brightened his usually stoic face up every time. Brought a gleam to his eyes.

He still dressed like a soldier. Crumpled, dirt covered jeans and a white t-shirt with a baggy, olive jacket over the top. His trademark dog tags still hung around his neck. She felt her muscles twitch, her brain trying to send the message to her legs to think 'screw it' and run to embrace him. It had been too long since she had been in his arms.

She was brought back into reality by the groaning and whimpering student. And a familiar voice that made her heart race again and she turned to see her sister running towards with her arms open.

Bernice had Bridget wrapped in her arms in seconds and she was trapped. Trapped but also quite relieved to be in her older sister's hold again. Eventually her own arms snaked around her sister and she allowed herself a small smile. She glanced over Bernice's shoulder to see Logan and Ruby walking over to join them all and her smile faded.

"You've only just come back tonight and causing trouble with humans," Ruby remarked and snorted in amusement. "Good way to make an entrance."

Bernice had suddenly let go and cupped her sister's cheeks with her hands. Her blue eyes widened as she studied Bridget. "Bridget, are you okay? I've missed you! Oh, sweetie, you don't look well. Have you been starving yourself?"

Bridget stammered over her answers to her sister's questions. She heard Logan chuckling in the background and looked his way.

"I take it you're struggling to keep that vampire side of you quiet. Is he alone?"

She wanted to lie and say yes but he raised a hand at her hesitation.

"Doll, if he isn't and whoever he was with saw you, you'll be recognised. You're supposed to be missing and it's best to stay in the shadows when you're turning. Where are they?"

She could see his point. While she was like this, uncontrollable and thirsting for blood, she wanted to stay away from her parents in case the need for blood became too strong to resist. Silently, she nodded in the direction she had come.

"Three of them. A girl and two other boys."

Logan smirked. "Perfect. We still need to feed."

"Although not as bad as you, I bet," Ruby added, snickering.

Bernice squeezed Bridget's hands. "We'll sort it out. I'll be right back," she said and caught up with Logan and Ruby.

When they disappeared around the corner it was her and Alan again. Well, her, Alan and the student. He glanced down at the human and the smile disappeared from his face.

"You were bothering my girlfriend," he said and reached for him.

"Please! I was just angry!"

Bridget bit her lip but she stayed still. The young man's anger had been an overreaction. It had been him in the first place who had drunkenly barged into her. He had followed her, ready to hurt her and because of that she struggled to feel any sympathy. She simply watched, almost hypnotised by his rapid heartbeat.

"You can have him if you want," Alan said, keeping the young man in his grip. He had noticed the hungry flash of yellow in her eyes.

"No," Bridget said.

"You must be starving."

She gripped onto her upper arm with her hands as she hugged herself. Her teeth ached, her stomach growled and she desperately wanted to accept his offer.

"No," she repeated. "Just get it over with and kill him."

"No, don't! I'm sorry! Please, don't!"

Bridget hissed at the young student. "I warned you not to mess with me."

"You never know _what_ you're pissing off," Alan added. As he opened his mouth, his teeth sharpened. Bridget caught defined features and a flash of amber eyes before he latched onto the human's throat. In seconds, the student had gone limp before being dropped to the ground.

"You don't look great," Alan said, frowning at her.

Since the last time he had seen her she had lost the sun kissed tan from her arms and face. Replaced with a chalk white tone. The lack of colour made her veins noticeable. There were dark circles under her eyes and a slight hollowness to her cheeks.

"Nice to see you too," she said with a snort.

"Have you actually avoided feeding for two weeks?" He stepped closer to her, lifting a hand up and his fingers brushed against her gaunt cheekbones.

"Sort of," she muttered. Her skin tingled where his fingertips traced.

"I've missed you."

"Really?"

"Of course I have. I haven't stopped caring about you one bit." He cupped her cheek properly and smiled. It would have been a nice smile if blood wasn't smeared all over his mouth. She responded to his smile by leaning her cheek into his palm.

"Did you stop caring about me?" he asked. "You ran away."

"Of course I didn't. I was just freaked out. I still am."

"It's not that bad."

"I can't go and change just like that," she argued, snapping her fingers. "Well… I guess I can. And I am. But that terrifies me. I feel capable of doing anything and that shouldn't be me but it is. It's been scary finding out how monstrous I want to be." She sighed and reached for his hand, originally intending to take it away. But instead, when she laced her fingers between his, she simply kept hold, clutching tightly.

"And then there's you and Bernice. I can't let either of you go."

"You didn't have to run away."

"I didn't know what else to do," she said. "I tried looking for another cure but I got nothing. There's nothing except killing you and I can't do that."

"There's only one other thing you can do," Alan said.

Bridget closed her eyes, nodding. "It feels more and more inevitable each night."

She had let herself step closer to him, fingers moving to grip onto the hem of his shirt. Whatever distance she felt she should keep, she didn't want to act on it. It was easier not to care and do whatever the hell wanted to do. That was a nice freedom to have. To really not give a shit and choose the other side right at that very moment.

When she realised she had been leaning closer, eyes on his lips, she suddenly cleared her throat and stepped away. Her hand moved to her mouth, nervously nibbling on her fingernails, before she folded her arms. They acted like a hostile shield for herself. Alan's shoulders slumped in disappointment at her sudden hostility. But he didn't push. And she kept her distance, trying to prevent those feelings for him stir again.

"I really see what you mean about Edgar," she said.

"Treating you like a vampire already? Yeah, I remember that too well." His lips curled up in a sneer. "Still same old Edgar. He doesn't understand what we go through."

"Do you miss anything? Like, Sam or Bonnie? They were there for you. They were your friends."

"I know that. But I'm different now and they don't trust me anymore. I took that first kill and that's that. I do remember but it feels like a dream. Like it was a past life or something like that. I'm just not attached to it anymore. What about you?"

Bridget thought back to the times she had used her abilities, mainly when she messed with a human's mind to get something. That time when she decided to attack Blake, thinking he was some sleaze bag guy wanting to hurt her. How she made that guy at the comic store believe he was eating intestines just for a laugh. That student she had just allowed Alan to kill…

Her eyes flickered down to the boy. Then to the blood stains on Alan's face. All she really regretted there was not accepting the kill. That she didn't get blood and in agreement her stomach cramped up. She groaned, leaning forward with her hands on her stomach. Alan reached forward, helping to steady her. His hands gripped onto her waist, steadying her as she slipped her rucksack off her shoulder.

"Shit," he muttered. "You'll kill yourself if you don't get any blood."

"I'm fine. And I am getting what I need." She rummaged into her rucksack, getting out a blood bag and she clenched her teeth at the searing pain in her body.

"Are you feeding on that?" he asked.

"It helps," she said, tearing into it with her teeth. It was drained in seconds and she sighed with relief, dumping the bag into a nearby bin.

"You're going to make yourself ill. You need fresh blood," Alan insisted.

"It works!"

"If it worked, you wouldn't look like you were wasting away right now. How many of those do you go through every night?"

She pursed her lips. "Not many."

"But more than one? It's not helping the cravings, is it?"

"We have a body to get rid of," she said and bent down to grab the corpse's hands.

"You can't put it off forever," he said and took hold of the legs.

She chose not to respond, instead averting her eyes when he tried to hold her gaze. The others joined them again. Logan, Ruby and Bernice all stained in red. It was Ruby who skipped forward, her eyebrows raised up in interest.

"Well, this looks tense."

"Is everything okay?" Bernice asked.

"Fine," Bridget snapped. "Alan, let's just get rid of him."

"Dumping a body?" Ruby asked. She still had a cheeky grin on her face, a toothy one that showed off her dimples on both sides as well as her fangs. She was at Bridget's side and hip bumped her.

"Not very human of you," she added.

Bridget took the bait, baring her teeth in a snarl. She let her incisors lengthen.

"Don't start," she hissed.

"You look great with fangs, little sister," Ruby said, laughing when Bridget dropped the corpse and grabbed at her upper arms and growled at the vampire.

"Do you think being a half is funny?"

Ruby had ceased laughing but her eyes were still crinkled in amusement. It made Bridget want to rip the smirk of her face with her own sharp fingernails.

"Brid, she's winding you up," Bernice said.

"You need to take a joke, doll," Logan added.

"I'm in agony all the fucking time," Bridget said. Her fingernails dug into the skin of Ruby's arms who winced. "I hardly give a shit about everything I stood for now. I feel torn. I feel like I actually want to become a monster and _it fucking terrifies me_."

Ruby slowly peeled Bridget's hands off her, glancing at the cuts the half vampire had made with her nails. She was solemn now, frowning at the girl who was visibly shaking. Bridget's eyes watered and she blinked fast, rubbing them with her palms. She kept her lips closed, trying to fight back sobs that she didn't want to release in front of four vampires.

"I know what I could do. What I _want_ to do. And that fucking scares the shit out of me because I didn't know I could be like that," she said, swearing afterwards when her voice faltered.

"You're just different," Alan explained. "It's just how we have to survive now. We're not human anymore. That's not our world."

"It should be! You're only like this because you were forced. Neither of you would have chosen this." She looked between her sister and Alan. Her cheeks were wet with tears.

"You're right. We wouldn't," Bernice said. She stepped closer to her sister and reached for her hands. Bridget closed her eyes at the comforting gesture. Bernice always held her hands or hugged her when she was upset. She was still, in some respects, her older sister which made everything so hard to let go off.

"But it happened and this is how we live now. It's not who we used to be but it's adapt or starve. I don't want to die or be miserable forever," Bernice added.

"Why did you do this to me?" Bridget asked, whispering her words.

"You're my sister," Bernice said and reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her younger sister's ear. "I didn't want to lose you. I don't want us to be enemies."

Alan nodded. "You were going to die. Neither of us wanted that."

"You just need a different outlook," Logan said. "Bridget, it's okay. There's nothing terrifying about this."

"Tomorrow!" Ruby exclaimed, suddenly brightening up. "Hang out with us."

Bridget snarled again. "The fuck I will."

"Oh, quit being a party-pooper. Come on. Get to know us."

"By now I bet you're curious," Logan said with his own grin. But when Bridget continued to glare he raised his hands. "Look, side with those hunters if you feel you must. But you know where we are if they piss you off. You can stick with them all you want but to them, you're a vampire now. You're better off with people who'll accept you. Us."

Bridget shuddered at the being reminded of what she was. "I'll think about it."

Before she flew away, she looked at Alan who had dropped the dead boy's legs he held and had begun to move forward. He paused when she glanced at him and his expectant eyes glanced down to her lips. And she wanted to as well. One kiss. But that kiss could open a floodgate. A path she preferred more to the possible human one. But she fought to keep herself still.

 _Don't,_ she warned mentally. _You need to keep your distance. You need to keep fighting._

"Bye," she quickly muttered and took to the sky.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. If you would like to leave a review, please feel free. I'm away next weekend again so I'll post the next chapter on Thursday. :)**


	11. Chapter 10

**Thank you snowflake2410 for reviewing. You're a sweetie! Thank you to everyone who read the last chapter. And to all UKers... Happy Bonfire Night! =D  
**

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Imogen had been in pain all weekend, sleeping most of the day and eating hardly anything. She had tried, thinking that the hollowness of her stomach was due to her appetite. But when she tried to eat something, a slice of toast or a packet of crisps, she ended up spitting it out. The food tasted bland, unappetising yet she still felt that desperate need to have something. She just wasn't sure what she was craving if none of her favourite meals or snacks were doing the job.

She sat in homeroom by herself, not wanting to face her friends or Bobby. She didn't want to see any of them, scared as she thought of the reason why she had been feeling so sick and her stomach hurt.

There was something else that was odd. Something that had sent her into panic as she tried to figure out what was making her feel so different. She had counted on her calendar, marking the days so she wouldn't be caught out by surprise. Yet Saturday had been and gone and there was absolutely not show of it.

If she calculated correctly, everything fit. A month ago she had been drunk, absolutely pissed at Peg's house. Her friend had hosted a big party, taking advantage of her parents being away and Imogen had drunk too much. She was usually so careful but she knew Bobby had not brought anything that night. But they still went ahead…

 _Fuck,_ she thought. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

A hand cradled around her stomach, a small tear escaping and she quickly wiped it away when the door opened. She straightened, watching Sam Emerson walk in. He didn't pay her much attention, eyes casting for one, brief glance at her.

She had never really gotten to know Sam. He had been new to their school and when he started he had already grouped up with those strange Frog brothers and those bitchy girls that also hung around with them. Well, if she was fair only two of those girls were bitchy. Bernice Teahan had always been nice. More mannered and friendlier than her sour faced sister. She actually thought Sam was okay, a bit weird in his dress sense which got him a lot of comments from the guys but despite the things they said to him, he was always confident and never seemed like their words and insults bothered him.

Normally he was quite a happy guy, always smiling. But lately he had been quieter. Kept to himself. Imogen guessed the reason. The last month had been awful for him and the others. He had lost three of his friends. Bernice, Bridget and Alan. They had all gone missing with Bernice's boyfriend, Leon, being a main suspect at first but he had seemed to disappear off the face of the earth as well. The police continued to go with that lead but anyone who knew Leon also knew that he was probably just another victim like the other three were. Then there was his friend Bonnie who had lost her mother recently. A break in that went horribly wrong according the news.

Despite what she thought of them, it was a tragic thing to happen at their school. She may have taken part in teasing Alan and the cat fights she would have with Bridget but she would be the first to admit they didn't deserve to be the latest victims.

"Hi, Sam," she greeted and Sam gave her a brief nod. He had circles under his eyes and a yawn followed. But then he looked back at her and frowned, observing her and she knew what he could see. She looked very pale and her face glistened with sweat. Now and again, she cringed and whimpered in pain. At the sight of her, she noticed Sam swear under his breath.

"What?" she asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sam may have been a vampire hunter for eight months but he had seen plenty of half vampires to know what they looked like.

"Oh… shit. You're…"

He paused, not wanting to blurt out everything so sudden because Imogen would have no clue what he was on about. Although she glanced at him with fearful eyes as if she knew what he was about to say.

"How do you know? Does it look that obvious?" She whimpered again, hand rubbing her stomach. She had to admit while she was in top classes for most of her subjects, headed towards an Ivy League path for college, she didn't know much about sex education. She had always been too embarrassed to find out more, trying to avoid the lessons school forced them all to have and never wanted to ask her parents a thing. It was only really last year that she actually started sleeping with Bobby despite being with him since Junior High.

"I've seen it happen before," Sam said and her face crumpled, biting down on her mouth and she suddenly stood up. She didn't notice how fast she had stood up but Sam had, backing away at her quick movements. Too quick for a human and he raised his hands.

"Just calm down," he told her but she marched over, grabbing his arms. He yelped, feeling her fingers clamp down into a tight, iron grip. Her eyes flashed yellow.

"I can't calm down! I'm scared," she wailed. "I can't tell anyone! Not even Bobby. I don't want this."

"No-one ever does. But it's happened and I can help. I know how to deal with this."

She blinked, tears dripping down her cheeks and she straightened. "How? No offence but what can you do?"

"I've dealt with this before. I'm quite experienced."

"Huh?"

"Okay, you look very confused now." He frowned before realisation hit him and he raised an eyebrow suspiciously at her. "Wait. What exactly are you on about?"

"I think I'm pregnant."

"Oh. Oh, I get it now!" Sam chuckled nervously and peeled her hands off him. "Sorry, I thought you meant something else."

So she was possibly pregnant? But she looked like a typical half vampire and now Sam wasn't so sure. Unless he dared to test her. There was a bottle of Holy water in his bag but he would probably get into a lot of trouble if she tested negative for vampirism. Apart from a few odd comments, Sam had never been on Bobby's bad side. The shoving heads down toilets and tripping up in the dinner hall seemed to be saved especially for Alan. Sam didn't want to be Bobby's next and newest victim. But he did have a cross.

He began to dig into his bag and pulled out a cross.

"A cross? Oh, are you one of those really religious people?"

"Not exactly," Sam said and held it up, right in front of her face. She recoiled back, suddenly feeling a horrible force pushing her back. She had no idea where it came from, only knowing that she didn't like it being waved in her face like that and she had a horrible fear of going anywhere near it.

"Just as I thought," Sam muttered.

"What's going on?"

"How long have you felt like this?" he asked, putting the cross away.

"Since Friday night. There was a big party down in the woods and I suddenly felt ill."

"Did you drink anything strange?"

"No, I'm very wary of drinks. I stuck to my own and Bobby's."

Sam put his fingers to his lips in deep thought. Vampires were fast. And if her and Bobby weren't paying much attention or watching their drinks closely, a vampire could easily sneak some of their blood in.

"Have you noticed anything else strange?"

"Like what?"

"Strange noises? Lack of appetite?"

"Yes! I get this awful pounding in my head all the time and I haven't been able to eat anything. I mean, I feel hungry but nothing is helping."

"What about water?" Sam asked. "Does running water burn?"

"What? Well, I burnt myself last night in the shower but the water must have been too hot. I ran a bath and I was fine."

Sam nodded. "Okay. Now…"

He suddenly grabbed her hands, examining the nails. It was lucky she had nail polish on. The white tips stood out from her purple nail polish, already grown out and longer.

"When did you put the nail polish on?"

"Friday. Just before the party." She observed her nails. "They've grown. Sam, why are you asking me all of this. What's wrong with me?"

"You're not pregnant," he said. "Take a test if you really want to know but you're not."

"So what is it?"

He scratched at his head and cringed. He really wanted to let her know what was going on but he was worried about her reaction. He wasn't like Edgar who would happily blurt out the truth and not care how crazy he sounded. He wanted to be careful, not wanting to scare Imogen. But if this was the work of Marko or Logan, whichever vampire, he wanted the girl to know as much as possible so she didn't turn or get lured to their side. Too many people he knew were lost to the vampires.

"Just know that I can help with what's happening to you," he said and took out his bottle of Holy water. He unscrewed the lid and let it trickle onto Imogen's skin. At the contact, the skin bubbled and hissed with Imogen crying out. She wrenched her arm away, eyes widening at the red burn on her skin. She was about to shriek at Sam, ready to demand what sort of chemical he had just poured on her but he let a couple of drops hit his own skin. There was no reaction.

"What's happening to me?" she asked. "Why did it burn me and not you?"

"It's vampires. You're one as well."

There was a pause from Imogen. She seemed frozen. Mouth agape. Eyes wide. Sam braced himself for her reaction, expecting anger to explode right in front of his eyes. All he had ever seen was anger from half vampires and he couldn't help be wary of the recently turned. Time seemed to drag by as Imogen stood there and Sam waited for a reaction. Anger… disbelief… he hoped for something because the situation was starting to get a little awkward and weird now.

She laughed. An almost hysterical cackle as she tossed her head back and laughed at Sam's words.

"Have you taken drugs or something?" she asked. "Vampires? That is fucking ridiculous."

 _Are you guys sniffing old newsprint or something?_

That memory flashed into Sam's head, a memory that seemed like years ago but was only last summer. He could sympathise with Imogen. Not really angry about her reaction because eight months ago he was exactly the same. Edgar and Alan had wandered over to him, attempting to persuade him that vampires roamed his new hometown. They had shoved yet another horror comic in his hands. One of Blake's. He thought they were completely nuts. Two bored teenagers who wanted to scare him or delusional nut-jobs who really did think monsters were under their beds.

"Believe me, when I was told this last summer I would have reacted the same as you. But that pounding your hearing are people's pulses. Those cravings you're getting are for blood. It sounds crazy, I know. I learnt the hard way that everything I was being told was true. But take a look at your reflection tonight when you get home. Then you'll believe me. When you do, come to my place. I know how to help."

As more students entered the homeroom, Sam moved away from Imogen and went to go sit down. She stayed standing, now looking fearful at him. He had sounded so serious. So understanding about her doubts. And now he calmly walked away from her, sitting down in a chair and ignoring her. Leaving her to think about his explanation.

"Babe, where have you been?" Bobby asked, strolling in. He waltzed in, arms spread, and as he pulled her closer, pressing her against his body she heard a beat. Slow at first but getting faster. The faster it got, the scent she caught in the air made her mouth water and throat burn. She pushed him away, lurching back herself and went to grab her bag.

"Babe?"

"Sorry. I just feel really sick," she lied and dashed out. Sam watched her closely, shaking his head with a disheartened sigh escaping.

So Santa Carla had claimed another undead. By this rate the population was either going to be dead or undead. The petty fighting between Marko and Logan's pack was already having serious consequences and they needed to be annihilated before things really got out of hand.

* * *

Imogen wept as she leaned against the sink in the toilets. She was so desperate for whatever that aroma was that it made her stomach hurt and her throat felt like it was closing up on her. She was famished and she still didn't really know what was happening to her.

Well… she had an idea but it was Sam's explanation. An explanation that she refused to believe because it was so stupid. There were no such things as vampires.

But then again everything Sam said seemed to fit into what she was experiencing. It all seemed to click, to bring light to what she was going through. Some part of her seemed to believe what Sam had been talking about.

But he told her to look at her reflection and that's what she was doing right now. She saw nothing strange. Weren't vampires supposed to have no reflection? Yet there she was, a full reflection in the mirror. She stared back at herself, a frown on her red face, blotchy from crying. She looked pale, drained of her usual Californian, sun-kissed look. But that shouldn't necessarily mean she was a vampire. Maybe she had the flu?

It was as she was staring at her reflection that she began to notice things. Changes that made reality hit her like a sharp, stinging slap in the face. Her hazel eyes slowly faded, glowing and shifting into a bright yellow with red around the rims. It was an unnatural colour that made her cry out. As her lips parted to make the shocked wail, her teeth ached. She tilted her head, poking at her incisors with her fingertips when they lengthened. Her canines followed. They lengthened to sharp points.

Fangs.

She whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "Oh my God."

* * *

It was almost uncomfortable in Sam's house. Blake felt the amount of family members about was unnerving. Crowded. He hadn't been in a household this large since his teen years, growing up with his grandparents. It was almost silly, he thought, because the amount of people in the house were two. Michael and Sam's Grandpa, Mr Burke. But even with two people it was noisy. Grandpa was busy in his little room, covered in blood and guts from his latest taxidermy job. A stuffed cat that some bizarre owner couldn't let go of completely. But Blake could hear the squishing of guts and tearing when Grandpa sliced the cat down the middle of its stomach. He nearly gagged and vomited all over his sketchpad. And Michael was in his room, having a day off from community college and listening to incredibly loud music.

Way too noisy. And Mr Burke's hearing wasn't great so he wasn't badgering the eldest Emerson to turn it down.

 _You get used to being by yourself,_ Blake thought. For a while now it had just been himself. Just him with a small apartment in San Diego. Pretty much a kitchen, living room and bedroom all in one with a tiny bathroom that he had to move around in sideways. It was a cage but then again, Blake never had much around to make it look full of clutter. What if he had to suddenly bail?

Blake tried to concentrate on his drawing. A sketch of vampires being slayed by a hunter. Not him exactly but he liked to think he looked this cool when hunting. It had been a while since he had drawn anything to do vampires. Not since…

He paused, biting his lip. Why did he always try to think of her? No matter how much he tried he couldn't get rid of the image of a blonde girl. Tall, just about his height, with thick hair always in 70s flicks. Freckles peppered around her nose and cheeks with wide brown eyes, the colour of chocolate, and a large smile that made her right dimple crease. She always looked like a Goddess in his mind and she was. Had been. A Goddess. Perfect. And smart. Too smart for him. His only qualifications were his high school diploma. And there she was on her way to getting her university degree. In biology. He always wondered why the hell a biology major in college would want to be with a comic book artist for the rest of her life. He may have been a talented artist but even he admitted that the writing and plots were shit. Then again, he hadn't really written it for entertainment. He always hoped people would start to realise there was some truth in his comics, like Sam and his friends had done. He hoped it would expose vampires and maybe… just maybe allow those two vampires to come out of their hiding place.

Instead he just added another loved one to his list. Killed another person because of his stupid choices.

Blake had allowed the pencil to drop from his hand. Now he simply stared into space, abandoning his sketch as her name revolved around in his head constantly. Taunting him and reminding him. Obviously seeing her mutilated and ripped apart body wasn't torment enough for him. He always had her on his mind… in his nightmares… her name whispered in the little voice in his head.

 _Kate, I'm sorry,_ he thought.

The gentle knock at the door brought him back to reality and he blinked, immediately reaching for his stake but then he looked out of the window and saw the bright sunlight. He sighed, standing up.

"Day time, idiot," he muttered to himself.

He opened the door and Star stood there. Blake had met her briefly when he first arrived and was only told that she had been the former half vampire of David's pack. One of the lucky ones they managed to rescue.

Blake wasn't sure what to think about her. She dressed like she was ready to go fortune telling. Even in the cooler temperature, the shift from winter to spring, she still wore her long, sparkly skirts and thin blouses. At least this blouse had long sleeves. She smiled, tucking her bushy hair behind her ears and her bracelets jangled from the movement. She was incredibly girly in his mind and wondered how someone so feminine was taken in by David's pack.

"Hi, Blake. Rest much today?" she asked.

He was honestly curious. How did a gentle, softly spoken girl like Star wind up in a vampire gang like David's? She must have been interesting somehow because no vampire would turn just any person.

"Uh, yeah. Just, y'know, drawing," he mumbled, opening the door for her to come in.

"Yeah, Sam said you were a comic book artist. Wrote all about vampires. Our kind of vampire," she said, coming to sit down. Blake called for Michael before he answered her. When he glanced at her, she winked.

"Was just trying to spread the word," he muttered.

"Thank you," she said and he blinked.

"Um, I haven't done anything," he said.

She smiled. "If it wasn't for your comics, Edgar and Alan wouldn't have put two and two together. And they would have never passed anything on to Sam. Our leads began from your comics. So, thank you."

She was nice. Too nice. How did a pleasant girl like Star manage to stay half human for so long?

Blake shrugged. "No worries. So, this pack of yours. The brat pack seemed to get rid of them with no trouble."

"We were lucky," Star answered as Blake sat down again. "I think we had more people on our side than we do now."

Blake nodded. "Yeah, I guess even if four of you were half vampires you were still working together."

"We were determined," Star said. "David acted impulsively. As soon as Sam, Edgar and Alan attacked we knew David was coming. But still, they were tough. Don't underestimate Marko."

Blake glanced at her. "Tell me about Marko."

Star looked down at her skirt, reaching to pick at a loose hem before she cleared her throat. "He scared me. People on the Boardwalk would see a short guy with a sweet look. Too sweet to be a biker. People targeted him a lot because they thought they could easily win a fight. But they didn't see the side I did. He was cruel underneath. Loved people assuming stuff about him because he enjoyed showing them what he really was. He's angry, malicious and I never liked him. Something was never right there."

"You think he was always like that?" Blake asked. "I've noticed a person's flaws can be enhanced with vampire blood. It's like it unleashes all those dark parts that were always inside you."

Star nodded thoughtfully. "I see that. There were a few things I did that were… well, best not to think of the past. But you can see it. I like to hope there was something good in Marko when he was human. He didn't talk about his past much. Your memories fade as a half or a full vampire but Marko particularly never spoke of his background."

Blake nodded, gazing down at the floorboards until he heard the sofa creak from Star moving. She edged forward, elbows resting on her knees as she tried to catch his eye.

"You want to know a lot about Marko," she said.

He smiled, although it never reached his eyes. "Gotta know your enemy."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to review. I'll post Chapter 11 on Monday when I'm back. :)**


	12. Chapter 11

Imogen hung her head and sank down in the backseat of Sam's car. After tracking him down at lunch, reluctantly admitting that she believed everything he had said to her, she had been invited to his house where everyone was gathering.

"Is this everyone?" she asked, glancing at Edgar and Bonnie. Edgar sat in the front passenger seat, not really paying her much attention. Well, he had at first. Mainly to warn her that he had a stake ready in his jacket pocket if she tried to take a bite out of any of their necks. She sat next to Bonnie who smiled warmly at her, acting friendlier than she ever had done in the past.

"Not quite. More people are involved," Sam said.

Edgar snorted in the front. "If you can call one of them 'people'."

He earned a kick in the back of his seat from Bonnie and a clipped warning to remain polite.

Imogen tugged on a strand of her own hair, twirling it nervously around her finger. "Vampire?"

"Half like you," Bonnie said. "You'll see."

"Okay but can we go now? If someone sees me in the car with you guys –."

Bonnie lost her friendliness, clicking her tongue and rolling her eyes. "Relax, Prom Queen. We wouldn't want to be associated with you either."

Imogen frowned, glaring at her from the corner of her eyes. "You really don't have to be such a bitch."

"And you really don't have to be so shallow but you are."

Sam sighed in front, starting the engine and glimpsing at Edgar who shrugged as he listened to the girls bicker. He adjusted his bandana and leaned back in his seat.

"Think this is bad? I'm dreading it when she sees you-know-who," he muttered, referring to Bridget and her infamous feud with Imogen.

Luckily for the boys, the girls settled down. Imogen didn't respond to Bonnie's comment and Bonnie didn't care to make any further remarks. They sat quietly in the back, arms folded and looking out of their windows for the whole journey.

Imogen watched the scenery as Sam drove them to the outskirts of town. They left the suburbs, heading to a ranch that led up to the mountains behind. The ill-reputed home of Sam's Grandpa who was known for being a crazy hermit. He never came into town. He had dead animals strung up all around the place. Some kids at school would claim that he had them so he could drink their blood. But that had been a silly rumour her friends all cooked up when they were eleven and twelve year olds. Designed merely for scaring and just to have an interesting conversation. Since Sam and his family moved to Santa Carla, everyone's image of the old hermit died a death. All of a sudden he had a family. A daughter and two grandsons. That made everything seem pretty normal.

But he did have animals strung up and Native American décor. Imogen cringed as Sam pulled into the drive.

"We used to think your Grandpa was a character out of a horror movie," she said. She expected Sam to be a little insulted seeing as she was talking about one of his relatives but he laughed.

"You should have seen my face when I first came here. Thought I'd stepped into the Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

"Why does he have all this?" Imogen asked. "Is it supernatural?"

"He's just a taxidermist. People come to him so he can stuff what they hunted and put up as a prize. And Grandpa used to hunt too. He also used to be a vampire hunter and I guess he liked having something to warn them off. Kinda like he was saying: I'm a hunter, fang face. Don't mess with me," Sam said and laughed again. "I thought he was nuts but Grandpa is actually pretty cool. You should see all the weapons he still has."

As they got out of the car, he flashed a proud smile at her. "I've inherited them all."

"Vampire hunters," she said and looked at all three of them. Edgar didn't surprise her. He already dressed like a soldier and claimed all the time at school that vampires existed and he was going to put a stop to them. Along with his brother. But she wouldn't have guessed Sam and Bonnie. Sam was flamboyant. A colourful, former Arizonian who she always spotted combing and styling his hair. Bonnie was a tiny little gnome in her eyes, a girl who was in her senior year at high school yet Imogen, a year younger, was at least four inches taller than her. It had spread as well at school that she had been diagnosed with MS and Imogen had seen her move around on crutches before. How could someone with that condition be a vampire hunter too?

"We thought you and Alan talked a load of shit," Imogen said bluntly to Edgar who shrugged.

"No, we were right. Don't feel too bad about it. Not everyone can be as observant as us."

She frowned at him, not quite sure whether he was insulting her or just being his usual blunt self, not really getting that his words were hurtful. She followed the hunters to the house, feeling a small pressure trying to push her away as she got closer. The house felt unwelcoming. Like she wasn't supposed to be there and when Sam glanced back, he flashed a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry, vampires need an invitation," he explained. "They can still come in unwelcomed but they're going to be vulnerable to defences. Like crosses, Holy water and, because you're a half vampire, you won't see your reflection really well. So you'll probably feel like you really shouldn't be in here."

"And if you gave me an invitation?"

"You'd pass a normal human being. Nothing that we could use as a defence to warn you off will affect you. But you're a half vampire. I'm not really comfortable with giving you an invitation."

"Sam, I won't hurt you," she said.

"Don't take it personally. But you'll understand why when the vampire blood really kicks in. Believe me, I've seen what happens to half vampires."

At the sight of Imogen's pouting lip, shame washing over her face, Bonnie and sighed and patted her shoulder.

"It's not you. We know that. But we need to be careful. If you were a vampire hunter, you'd be doing this."

Imogen nodded and sauntered inside. As she walked in, she saw an old man standing in the entrance to another room that could be sealed off with sliding doors. She first caught sight of dead animals, skeletons and stuffed ones already mounted. The old man himself was scruffy with a grey beard and balding grey hair that was mainly cut short but there was one long, thin strand that was tied into a plait and draped over his shoulder. Right now he stayed near the entrance to the macabre room with a grim look on his face.

"More vampires?" he asked.

Edgar grunted beside Imogen. "Unfortunately."

Grandpa nodded. "Never mind the large population of corpses, if things continue to get out of control we'll have more of the undead than the dead _and_ alive combined. Just be careful, Sammy." He entered the room behind him, closing the sliding doors shut. They slammed together, making Imogen jump a little.

"We're in here," Sam said and led everyone through the living room and into the kitchen. A young man was present, unfamiliar and looked older than them. In his twenties for sure. He dressed in dark clothing with a cross dangling from his neck and looked like another grim faced person. At the sight of Imogen he groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Not another leech," he muttered.

But the second person present almost made Imogen shriek out loud. Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped and she stepped forward.

"Bridget? You're supposed to be dead!"

"Not far off," Edgar said and Bridget threw him a glare.

"I'm only missing," she said.

"Missing in Santa Carla means dead. What the hell happened to you?" Imogen asked.

She smirked. A cold smirk. Bridget was known for her sour faced or icy looks but this particular leer she had on looked cruel. Devoid of emotion. She didn't look great either. Her skin was very chalky with gaunt cheeks and dark shadows underneath her eyes. Her hair had no shine to it at all. Just brown and dull, hanging down in loose, limp waves.

"Same thing that happened to you," she said.

"You're a half vampire too?"

"Welcome to the fang face club."

"You've been gone for two weeks now."

Bridget's smirk disappeared. She shrugged and nodded, not saying anything else. Imogen couldn't stop gawping at how ill she looked. Starved. Was that how she was going to look? She didn't really know what proper vampires looked like. Did they all turn into corpse like creatures? Was Bridget near the end of her change? How it did all work?

"What's going to happen to me?" Imogen asked. "I don't want to be a vampire but am I suddenly going to complete the change?"

"No," Edgar said. "Take a seat. You've got a lot to learn and take in."

Imogen did and she was glad of it. Her legs were shaking, feeling like they were losing all their strength. She couldn't stop looking at Bridget, frightened at the thought of becoming like that. She only stopped when Bridget rolled her eyes and scowled at her.

"You want a fucking photo?"

Imogen averted her eyes.

"You're only half," Edgar said. "Which means you're not a full vampire. To become like that you need to take your first kill. That means you need to drain a human's blood. Soon as you kill, that's it. You're one of them completely and there's no going back. At the moment there's a chance for you to be saved. If we can kill the Head Vampire, you'll become human again."

"What's a Head Vampire? Is that like Dracula or something?"

"No. The Head is just the vampire whose blood turned you. Typically the Head is the leader. The one who changed everyone in the pack. But that's not always the case." He glanced at Bridget who lowered her eyes to the floor and sighed. "Basically, if they give you their blood, they're the Head. The one who needs to be killed to stop the change."

"I don't know who gave me blood," Imogen said.

"We do. At the moment there's a fight going on. Two different packs so two possible Head Vampires. Now one of those packs already have a lot on their side. It's the other pack who need numbers. But either way, we're sure about the Head."

As Edgar spoke, he curled his fingers into a fist and gave a sharp nod to signal that he had finished speaking. He felt adrenaline inside, energising him and he felt ready to run out of Sam's house right now and track Marko and Charlotte down. He was eager to drive a stake through their hearts and finally see a half vampire return human again. He knew he could do it this time. It was a strong lead. Stronger than he had had in a while and felt the ghost of his old self returning. Strengthening. He still had two failures on his hands, two people that had been very close to him, but maybe he could start redeeming himself by saving Bridget and Imogen.

"We can help you," he insisted.

Imogen nodded "So we just need to kill these possible Head Vampires. Easy."

"Not quite. For starters, you've got vampire blood in you. You'll be changing, feeling that urge to drink blood."

"Ew!"

"Trust me, you won't think anything gross about it. You'll want it. The thirst is uncontrollable. There are going to be times when you'll try and give in," Bridget warned her.

"I'd never do anything like that."

"You don't have a choice," she said, standing up from the chair she had been sat down on. She marched over, hands resting on the table and she leaned forward to scowl down at Imogen who sat on the other side.

"Part of you is a monster and it surfaces," she said. "It's like being split. There's a new side of you that will come out and you'll have thoughts that you never thought you'd be capable of. You'll be in agony. Pain that sends your whole body into spasms and you'll feel like you're suffocating. You'll just want to cling onto that hunger and anger and let go."

"Brid, you're scaring her," Bonnie snapped.

Imogen trembled in her seat and her lips quivered. Bridget shrugged at her friends.

"I'm just stating the truth. We're half vampires. This is what we go through. She needs to be prepared."

"No, you're just being a bitch and frightening her," Bonnie argued. "You're only saying this for your own amusement."

"Well example A." Bridget gestured to herself. "I've only been like this for two weeks and I feel closer to being a vampire than human. You guys can see it too. I'm changing already."

"I'm not going to become like you," Imogen said although her voice was quiet. "You talk like that because you a _re_ giving up. That's you being willing. But that's not me. I don't want this and I refuse to be like that."

Bridget rolled her eyes at Imogen's optimism and again gestured to herself. "I didn't want this either. I was forced."

"Okay, that's enough from you, Little Miss Grumpy," Blake said and waved Bridget to move away from the table. Imogen sat there, staring up and looking younger than her sixteen years. Her face was almost crumpled, creasing as tears streamed down her face and she gnawed on her bottom lip. She was always the girl at school that looked confident and happy. A decent soccer player with a boyfriend on her arm, a close yet large swarm of friends, and high academic achievement. A perfect life that had just taken a tumble, falling into a dark underworld that she never knew was lurking in her coastal hometown.

"Brid, you need to stop." Sam sighed and his friend held her hands up in defence.

"What? She's an idiot if she thinks she's going resist completely."

"Just… shut up," Bonnie said and huffed, shaking her head. They both stood, glaring at each other for a few seconds until it was Bridget who shrugged and moved to the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms folded.

"How are you holding up?" Sam asked Imogen who still sat shaking in her seat.

"I don't want any of this," she whispered.

"I know. And I'm sorry it's happened to you. We're honestly going to put a stop to it so we can help you."

She tried to smile, managing a grimace but she really did want to smile at everyone. Well, everyone except Bridget.

"Thanks. So, these vampires… are they going to come for me?"

"Probably. Try and get you to make that first kill," Edgar said.

"And it could be either pack? That must be scary, having two packs after you."

Now it was Edgar's turn to grimace. "Um, not quite. Just the one."

As if purposely timed to perfection there was a rap on the front door. A jovial knock and Edgar groaned, shaking his head. Imogen frowned, looking towards where the knocking had come from. Something was bugging her. Something about the other side of the door. It was like a gut instinct. She knew something was up but she didn't know how. All she knew was that he wasn't human. He. Again, she didn't know how but she knew the person was male.

She looked at Bridget to see if she was sensing the same things she was. Bridget frowned as she gazed towards the door, biting down on her lower lip nervously and she backed up into the kitchen.

Edgar opened the door, glaring at Logan. He was alone, luckily. Edgar wasn't sure if he could handle seeing Bernice and Alan tonight, especially now that Bridget was back. His friend was already different enough. Having those two around, trying to persuade her into going along with them, would not help at all.

"I see we have the gang together," he said. "And two new additions." He peeked over Edgar's shoulder, grinning at he caught sight of Imogen and Blake.

"Another half vampire," he muttered with interest.

"Courtesy of you?" Edgar asked.

Logan chuckled at him, back to staring straight at the hunter. He leaned forward with an amused eyebrow quirked up. "I already have my perfect team, kid. If there are more half vampires around it's because of that sap and dumb Dora. Two idiots who want to start a fight."

He gestured inside. "Can I come in?"

"No invitation," Edgar snapped and marched back to the kitchen. "Shut the door behind you."

"Welcoming as always," Logan muttered. But he shut the door, glancing towards a room that was closed off by two sliding doors. They were slightly ajar and he could see eyes peeping out from the darkness. He grinned, wriggling his fingers in a mock wave and laughed when Grandpa slammed the doors shut completely.

In the kitchen he was greeted by the grim faces of Edgar, Sam and Bonnie. They watched him carefully as they wandered in, noticing that Sam eyed his school bag. He waved idly at the boy with a roll of his eyes.

"No need for weapons. I just wanted to check in." He smirked at three figures. Imogen, Blake and Bridget. "New arrivals and an old face. This is interesting."

In a second, he was sitting down. Comfortable in a chair with his long legs stretched out in front of him. He leaned back in his seat, looking relaxed. More relaxed than anyone else in the kitchen. Edgar and Blake had twin glares on their faces. Lips curled in disgust at the sight of a vampire. Bonnie and Sam couldn't help the fear showing. He had noticed they had moved behind the table, putting it between him and them.

The new half vampire seemed to shrink in her seat, her flickering from him to the floor. Back and forth. He grinned, enjoying how she was curious enough to keep looking at him but didn't also dare to let her stare linger for too long.

Bridget also looked nervous. She had folded her arms, hunched her shoulders and looked everywhere, like she was searching for a black hole to crawl into her. She probably hadn't told the hunters where she had been last night or been caught doing it. It was hard to get into a half vampire's mind, let alone one that hadn't been turned by his father's blood, but he figured she was hoping he wouldn't say anything about last night.

"I'm glad to see everyone is back. Clearly, Marko and Charlotte have been up to no good." He smiled at Imogen. "Sorry, doll, but we're going to have to take back that gift you've been given."

There was a scoff from Edgar. "Gift? What you do to humans is no gift. It's a curse," he said.

"This is horrible!" Imogen said. "I would never ask for this."

"You're talking bullshit," Bonnie added. "I hated being a half vampire."

"And how do you feel?" Logan asked, turning to Bridget. "Why don't you share with the class your opinion?"

"Didn't running away tell you how I felt?" She scowled at Logan once before looking away again.

"Can we focus on the problem?" Edgar asked and waved a hand at Imogen. "We need to work faster. Marko and Charlotte are out there turning people or killing them. We need to get rid of them ASAP."

"Agreed," Logan said. "When can we hunt?"

"Tomorrow night. Let us take a look at the missing people so far. Maybe they're all disappearing in the same area. And we'll map out the abandoned places we haven't looked at yet."

Logan nodded. "Good. We'll meet up at the comic store tomorrow." Yet he stayed put, making no sign that he was ready to leave.

The eldest Frog narrowed his eyes. "Is that everything?"

Logan grinned at the eldest Frog. "Your brother says hi."

"Get the fuck out," Edgar said, moving to take a step towards Logan but Sam stopped him. He placed a hand against Edgar's chest, pushing him slightly so he stayed back. Logan stayed seated, responding with a cocky grin on his face, but didn't make any other move to respond to Edgar's threatening advance.

"It must sting. Knowing you couldn't even save your own brother."

"Okay, you might have scared this lot into letting you live but you don't scare me. I have no problem staking you right here," Blake warned and he took a step forward now.

"I suggest being nice. I have no problem threatening the ones you care about too."

Blake scoffed. "You're too late. There's no-one else left."

Logan fell silent. The first time they all had seen him be silenced, unable to come up with more sarcastic comments or witty comebacks. Blake was taller than Logan, only by an inch but it was enough when he kept his back straight and walked up close to the vampire.

"Are you going to be a problem?" Logan asked.

"Not if you force me into one. So maybe you need to act and speak carefully too."

Logan smirked, a small snort of amusement and he stepped back from Blake with an interested nod. "I like you. But unfortunately I have no vacancies at the moment for my pack."

"How unfortunate, leech," Blake muttered.

"Vampire hunters," Logan said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "You don't understand any of it."

In a blink of an eye he had disappeared from the kitchen, leaving the front door swinging from his exit. Sam shuddered, cold from the wind that was blowing in but also with how vampires could move fast. So fast, the human eye failed to see any movement. He dashed to the door to close it while Edgar grumbled to himself.

"Edgar, ignore him. Think of him as if he's one of the idiots at school. They say shit to get a rise and you make them happy by responding to it," Bonnie said.

"What the hell has been happening?" Imogen asked but she suddenly shook her head. "You know what? No. My head hurts. I've just discovered I'm turning into a vampire. I've just met an actual vampire. And people who are supposed to be dead aren't dead?"

"There's never a best way to be introduced to vampires," Bridget said. She sighed, turning to Imogen and placed her hands on her hips. "Look, I'm sorry I freaked you out earlier. But what I said was still the truth. The longer you're a half, the more you're going to struggle with the change. And you will. Just be prepared."

Imogen nodded, trying to smile but she ended up giving in and letting her shoulders slump. She wanted her bed now more than anything. Not to sleep. She realised just how much of a night owl she had been the last few days. Her parents had thought she was unwell and allowed her to rest pretty much every day during the weekend. She had been so hungry yet lacking in energy that she had hardly done a thing Saturday and Sunday.

"You really didn't know until today?" Bonnie asked. "How did you not notice your reflection?"

"We're actually redecorating the bathroom at the moment. Daddy took the cabinets with the mirror down to put new tiles up."

Bridget snorted. "Wow. You don't have a million other ones dotted around the house to admire yourself in?"

Imogen sighed at her. "I really don't like this image you all have of me. I've been bedridden all weekend, thinking I had some weird flu or something. Believe it or not, I don't actually care about my appearance when I'm feeling shit. I can actually walk out of the house without taking a glance." She rolled her eyes and reached for her schoolbag. "Sam, would you mind giving me a lift home?"

Sam shook his head. "No worries. Start without me, guys?"

"Be careful," Edgar warned Imogen. "Once you make that first kill, you're a vampire. No going back."

"Got it," she said and muttered a goodbye to everyone as Sam led her out of the house. As soon as they were gone, Blake flopped into a chair and took a deep breath out.

"Guess we can relax now that those two leeches have gone. We can just about put up with you, sour face," he said, turning his head to grin at Bridget who laughed mockingly.

"You're funny. Not."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Next chapter will be uploaded on Saturday. :)**


	13. Chapter 12

**Thank you to GlassMasquerade and Raindrop (response below) for your reviews! :)**

 **Raindrop: Yay, glad you like Blake! And Imogen! I debated on her involvement for this story but I like my heavily flawed girls too much so she was a keeper. Her interactions thus far with the hunters and Bridget have been fun to write for so far. Gets another side of her out. :) You hve some good theories about Blake there! But lips shall be sealed for now. :)**

* * *

Crickets chirped loudly in the nightly silence. Everyone had gone to bed again. Edgar and Bonnie were staying over too, wanting time to go through possible locations for Marko and Charlotte. They had been collecting the recent missing posters but despite their assumption that the vampires would stay close to their shelter, the missing people had been at random. Scattered across Santa Carla. The town centre, Downtown, the Wharf. A few random neighbourhoods. Bridget figured as much. If she was a full vampire, she wouldn't keep her kills so close to shelter. That would be advertising.

She shuddered as she realised she was actually thinking about those things.

She leaned against the side of the house, staring down the hill and into the horizon where she could see the lights of the Boardwalk begin to fade out. Even the night owls were getting ready for sleep and the only ones still up would be vampires and club goers.

The hunger had started up again. Not that it disappeared. After being on her own for almost a week, being surrounded by so many humans again turned her thirst into a fire that couldn't be put out. A horrible burning in her dry throat that ached to be soothed by fresh, warm blood. The hunger was always there, stirring occasionally but often it awoke. Growling to be fed and punishing her with unbearable spasms of pain because she wasn't giving the monster what it wanted. She ached, not just for the blood but to kill. It was a big an urge as the thirst.

Bridget looked down at the blood bag in her hands. As far as she knew, Edgar still didn't know about them. She had begged Sam and Bonnie not to say anything, scared that if he knew she was drinking blood to begin with he would cast her out and she would be left to find her own shelter. Where _they_ might find her. Knowing her mixed feelings, she would probably go with them as well.

Her fingers pressed against it. The blood sloshed around and it hypnotised her. It wasn't fresh from the vein but it still called. Her stomach whined and rumbled. The fire in her throat grew. With a fingernail, she cut the bag, leaving a thin slit and tiny droplets of blood leaked out. She didn't waste time pressing her lips to the bag and sucking the blood up, tasting every drop until there was no more. She found herself growling, scowling at the empty blood bag. There was still pain shooting through her and she whimpered as she dropped it and hung her head.

It wasn't enough anymore.

She licked her lips, wondering if she should go back inside for another.

"It won't help," a voice said and Bridget glanced up at Logan. His sudden presence hadn't made her jump. She had sort of sensed someone nearby, about to show themselves. And she had been expecting one of them to come see her. To tempt her into coming with them.

Logan nodded to the blood bags. "Believe me, it just makes the hunger worse."

"Then maybe I'll try animal blood," she said.

He laughed, a loud boom that she was surprised didn't cause anyone in the house to stir.

"If you want to make yourself throw up by all means, doll, go for it. But the only thing that will work is drinking from a human. That's it. Bottled blood doesn't have the lasting effect you'd hope it to have. Changing into a vampire is more complex than that." He sighed, looking into the horizon. "You can fight all you want but the best thing everyone decides to do is give in. Get rid of the pain."

"How long did you fight? _Did_ you fight?" she asked.

"A while," he admitted. "Can't remember that much but it wasn't straight away. Father and I didn't really want any of this. Uncle Max forced it."

"Why did you want to fight?"

"Uncle Max was selfish. He wanted his family but he never took it into consideration that we had our own. I had a mother and a kid sister."

Something glistened in his eye that Bridget never knew he would be capable of doing. The tear ran down his cheek but he wiped it away. The cocky smirk came back and he directed it towards her but she pressed on. Curiosity was too strong. She had seen Alan being forced into changing. She knew Bernice had. Logan and Ruby, she assumed, had welcomed this. And yet Logan had been in their shoes. There was still a part of him that still seemed to care he had lost family members as a result of Max's dreams.

"Do you miss them?" she asked. "Are you capable of missing them?"

"Yes. Father and I gave in because we were hungry and despite what Uncle Max did, we couldn't kill him to save ourselves. He was a selfish bastard but he was family. There was no other choice but to sacrifice our own. We killed a couple of random people and disappeared immediately, leaving Mom and my sister behind."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"That's in the past," he said with a shrug. "When you make that kill, you also need to decide something else. Are you going to mope about it or are you going to embrace it?"

"Is that what Bernice and Alan have done?"

"Why don't you come and see, doll? Come and have some fun for once."

He smiled as her teeth chewed on her bottom lip. She was debating. Her eyes looked from his outstretched hand to the house above her. Hand. House. With a sigh, he decided to make the choice for her. His hand grabbed hers and he pulled her away from the house before letting go.

"You're fine with flying, I assume?"

She allowed herself a small laugh. "I think that's been my favourite bit so far."

* * *

The vampires had gathered in an old jail outside of Santa Carla. It had been abandoned for years, having been shut down in the sixties after an infamous riot on the brutal and bent guards. After investigations had been made, they had found the authority in the jail to be just as corrupt at the prisoners. Conditions were poor and the guards were unfortunately known for their racist attacks on some of the prisoners who had been wrongly imprisoned. That had been their downfall and soon enough, the convicts had decided enough was enough. Guards and prisoners alike had been lost in the riot, beaten bloody to the point of being unrecognisable. A gruesome history that made the dilapidated building the perfect place for a horror film. It was the inspiration for young, imaginative minds who liked to use Santa Carla Penitentiary to cook up old ghost stories about the prisoners and guards who died in the building during the 1967 riot. Or for cruel frat boys who liked to base their initiations in the prison.

Logan led Bridget to a watchtower. They had brought a bin near it and set the contents on fire. The flames danced into the sky, licking at Bridget's skin when she got closer to it. It was nice to feel something warm for once, even though it did nothing to take away her cold touch. While she smiled at Bernice, she remained stiff at first as her sister's arms wrapped around her.

"You came," Bernice said, smiling when she pulled away and grabbed Bridget's hands. She held them up, studying the chalk white skin and frowned at the visible spidery blue veins. "Oh, Brid."

"I'm fine," Bridget said, snatching them away and stuffing them in the pockets of her jacket. She tried to flash a brave smile at her sister who still looked at her with concern.

"So, things have been happening," she said, steering the conversation away and raising her voice so everyone could hear. Not that Bridget really needed to with a vampire's sharp sense of hearing.

"Oh?" Ruby asked. She ceased dancing, having been jumping and leaping all over the place, and now placed her hands on her hips. She wanted to grin but by the grim expression Bridget had on her face, whatever had happened couldn't really be any good or interesting news. Then again, she had come to realise that the teenager always looked grim and moody. It was almost a default look that represented all of her emotions.

"There's another half vampire," Bridget said and Ruby immediately turned to Logan, raising a finger to point at him.

"Oh no, who the bloody hell have you been turning now?"

"I haven't done this… for once." He snickered, unable to help a glimpse at Alan and Bernice. Despite both of them being part of his pack now and full vampires, they didn't share his amusement. In fact, Alan raised his eyebrows at Logan's teasing.

"It's Marko and Charlotte," Bridget said. "And they've turned Imogen."

"Oh my God!" Bernice said, raising her hands. Her jaw hung open.

"Imogen Reece?" Alan asked.

"You're high school crush," Bridget said, with a smirk and he responded with his own.

" _Old_ crush."

 _I'm into someone else now,_ he added mentally. It was strange hearing his voice inside her head, feeling a tug on the connection they had as vampires. Like the echo of her own thoughts but with his voice. Her smirk turned to a genuine, bright smile. A strong urge to giggle like a silly school girl at hearing a guy she liked admit his crush on her. Even though they had moved their friendship further prior to her running away and Alan's turning, every time he admitted his feelings always made her have the same reactions. The same pounding of her heart and tossing of butterflies in her stomach. Her decision to stay distant seemed like an almost impossible task, wanting to go back to the relationship they had before everything changed.

"Imogen Reece…" Bernice shook her head. "Is she okay?"

"About as jittery as a druggie on a bad trip," Bridget said.

"Oh. That's bad. Think she'll turn?"

"Better not. That's another vampire for Marko and Charlotte. I'd rather deal with just the two of them, than their wannabe gang," Logan said.

"We need to go out and find them," Bridget suggested and waved a hand at the bin and stereo that continued to blast out music. "Instead of partying it up, maybe we should go out now. You're vampires too. Just as strong."

"Marko was taught by the best. Believe me, I've got a good few decades on him but that short little sap is tougher than he looks. Don't underestimate Charlotte either. She's quick."

"She was on the athletic team at school," Bernice said, nudging her sister. "Wasn't she always really good at sprinting?"

"She was one of the best," Bridget said with reluctance.

"We've all got our skills. But not all of us can hunt at the same time. My father stays hidden and if we simply group up everywhere, we're never going to cover ground quickly enough," Logan explained.

"Can't your dad help out? He's powerful, right?"

It was a strange image to have of her dad's old colleague. Doctor Adam Mathias who she thought had been normal and human all this time. Flustered Doctor Mathias who spent most of his work hours dashing around dealing with problem after problem after problem. A high strung, caffeine addicted man who always sounded like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Definitely not some monstrous Head Vampire who wanted revenge for the death of his brother, Max. It had all been an act, getting close enough to be able to learn more about the vampire hunters but not so close and intrusive that he raised alarm bells. That had been one of their mistakes. They had been searching for someone new, someone like Max but Doctor Mathias had been a new doctor nine months ago, a month before the dealings with Max's pack even began. So back then, when she, Bonnie and Bernice had been ignorant of vampires, they would have never thought a new colleague was suspicious. Even when they first found out about the undead and eight months later when they were trying to figure out who and where the Head Vampire could be, Doctor Mathias would have never occurred to them. He had blended in, becoming known in their lives but not so known they would have even thought about putting him on the list.

Logan shrugged. "Even Head Vampires are easy to kill when you're strong enough. Didn't take much for that old hermit to kill my Uncle, did it? It's all one big chess game. You send the pawns and the other pieces to fight and protect the king."

She couldn't help raise an eyebrow. "You're the pawn?"

"Like hell, doll. Out of everyone here, I'm the most powerful piece. I'm the strongest."

"We'll sort it out," Ruby said. "Clear up _his_ mess." And she jerked a thumb in Logan's direction who shrugged.

"I look out for my family," he said as he looked at Bridget and Bernice. "When they've been wronged, you'd do anything. Right, Bernie?"

Bridget glanced at her sister who flashed her a smile. She nodded at Logan's words and went to put an arm around her younger sister's shoulder and leaned into her.

"And while you claim you don't want to be a vampire and you're upset at what happened to Bernice, you're not going out of your way to distance yourself or put a stake through her heart," Logan added, now looking straight at Bridget. "Or your boyfriend's."

Bridget felt Bernice's hand squeeze at her shoulder and she reached a hand up to grasp it.

"No, you're right there." She looked past her sister, towards Alan. "Can't seem to distance myself away from either of you."

"That's because we're awesome," Ruby said with a wink. "And things aren't as bad as they seem. I mean, you get to live forever! What beats that?"

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she suddenly lunged forward to Bridget. The half vampire jumped back at first, unsure of what Ruby was about to do. When she grabbed Bridget's hands she dragged her over to the stereo, skipping as she moved backwards and tried to move the half vampire to the rhythm of the song.

"I don't dance," Bridget muttered.

"Come on, kid sister. Just have some fun!"

"I've never really danced," Bridget said, pulling away. She wrinkled her nose. "Not my thing."

"Boo," Ruby said with a pout on lips. But it disappeared when her eyes found someone else and she broke into a grin. "Come on!" She reached over for Bernice who was much more responsive than her sister. Bernice laughed, diving straight into the dancing and Bridget moved over to Alan who stood by the watchtower. She leaned against the wall next to him, nudging him when she spotted the smirk he wore.

"I'll get Ruby to make you dance next," she said.

"Please don't encourage her," he replied.

Logan joined them, carrying two bottles of beer in his hand. He held them out to the both of them who stood and stared at the alcohol in his grip. With a laugh, he stretched his hand further, nodding down to the bottles.

"You two never tasted alcohol before?" He chuckled again as they both hesitantly accepted one each.

"Never really my idea of fun," Alan explained and Bridget nodded in agreement.

"We're really underage," she said.

"And you're going to be for eternity, doll," Logan pointed out. "You're going by rules that apply to a world we're no longer part of." He reached to pull off the lids and chucked them both over his shoulder.

"This is definitely beer, right?" Bridget asked, holding her bottle up and Logan snorted.

"What do you think I'm going to do? Turn you into a half vampire?"

She flashed him a sarcastic smile. "Ha fucking ha."

"Relax, doll," he said and gave her a gentle tap on the shoulder. "We're your family now."

It was an assuming statement that Bridget could have argued about. She felt like she should argue because she should be choosing the human side. But there were doubts nagging away at her, whispering cruelly that she really wasn't sure of anything right now. If she had chosen a side, she wasn't making it very clear by willingly coming to find the vampires. Or feeling very willing to see Bernice and Alan staked.

She took a sniff of the bottle. She couldn't smell any blood. But then again she wasn't really sure what beer smelt like either. Hesitantly she raised the bottle to her lips, the cool glass pressing against her mouth and she tilted the bottle up further.

If this was a favourite alcoholic beverage for people, she didn't really see the hype of it. It was warm, not chilled at all. A bland, dull taste that fizzed in her mouth and she swallowed the mouthful down with her nose wrinkling up.

"I don't get it," she said and glanced to see Alan pulling the same face. "I think I'd prefer spending my nights flying around," she added, almost quietly as she twisted the bottle around in her grasp. There was a shy smile playing at her lips.

"I do like flying," she whispered, leaning towards Alan as if she was revealing a deep dark secret. And maybe she was. She was supposed to be fighting for her humanity yet there were a few abilities she had been tempted into using. And by using them, she had grown to enjoy the perks to her situation. Especially flying. To soar through the sky, high above the ground and hidden by clouds was freedom. She could go anywhere she wanted.

And it had saved so much money on travel, if she wanted to consider the practical side of flying.

Alan laughed as he took another swig of the beer, again wrinkling his nose at the bitter taste. He smiled as he glanced at her through the corner of his eyes and leaned in closer.

"So do I," he whispered back.

"Isn't it the best feeling?" Ruby asked, and spun to face them. "Yes, I meant to eavesdrop then. But isn't it amazing?"

"I like it," Bridget said, nodding. "It's actually pretty cool."

She felt a nudge from Alan's elbow. "Better than that first time I took you flying?"

She snorted, amused at first by the memories that flashed in her mind. The night she had decided to act impulsively and go after Logan's pack after Bernice had disappeared. She had snuck out, ignoring Edgar's wishes to go hunting in daylight because she had been so stupidly intent on getting immediate revenge. Her emotions had controlled her decisions, desperate to find out what had happened to her sister. Alan had flown her into town and she thought she was going to throw up in the air at the feeling of flying. As a human she had hated it.

She soon lost her amusement, her smile tugging down and she stared at the bottle in her hands. The memories came running towards her. The rest of the night where she had opened her eyes after being attacked to see her sister looking back. But with cold eyes. And newly undead. The sight of Alan finally losing control and being forced to give in and feed. The taste of his blood when he gave it to her so she wouldn't die.

"I'm used to it now," she said, trying to flash him a smile again. But she still couldn't get that night out of her head. It always haunted her. The mistakes she had made. Losing two people who were very close to her. Nearly dying and becoming a half vampire as a result.

"Come on!" Ruby lifted herself off the ground, heading straight up to the watchtower. Logan followed immediately, leaving Bernice, Bridget and Alan on the ground to stare up at them.

"What are they doing?" Bridget asked, coming out of her thoughts.

"Come up and you'll find out!" Ruby shouted down.

"Don't look so suspicious," Bernice laughed, grabbing her sister's hand. "They're actually not that bad."

"Have we been dealing with different vampires? They forced you into turning," Bridget pointed out.

"I remember what they did," her sister admitted. "But what am I supposed to do? Mope for the rest of eternity? Logan's actually been alright to me. He's already teaching me a lot. Come on."

"Bernie!" Bridget protested but she was already being lifted up by her sister. She growled, snatching her hand away but continued to fly up until she reached everyone at the top of the watch tower. She landed, Alan next to her and her gaze went straight to the horizon. In the direction of the Boardwalk, almost in complete darkness save for a few lights and the dark sea, glistening and reflecting the clear night sky. The beauty of it attracted her. She was never really one for gazing around and admiring her surroundings. Being born and bred in Santa Carla, she took her hometown for granted, never properly soaking in how attractive it could look. She saw it every day of her life. But she could see the Redwoods in the distance. A large forest area with trees tall and towering, right near to the Boardwalk. She could see the outlines of the mountains, darker against the night. Being surrounded by forests, mountains and the ocean made her think about how secluded Santa Carla actually was. This little hideaway, guarded by nature. She hadn't realised she had her arms folded and resting on the railings, completely entranced by her views. Hadn't even realised Alan's arm around her waist and when she glanced down, her first instinct, the only instinct, was to lean into him. Give in and enjoy this rare moment of tranquillity she felt. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Tranquillity and content. She smiled, closing her eyes as she rested her head just under his chin and she felt him squeeze her waist once in a comforting gesture.

It was spoilt by Ruby whooping as she jumped onto the railings. There was a wild grin on her face. Her hair blew about, black silk shining in the moonlight and she lifted her hands up into the air, head tilting back as she closed her eyes.

"What are you doing now?" Bridget asked.

"Falling… and enjoying the fact that it won't even hurt me."

"And that's your idea of fun?"

"What doesn't kill you becomes fun," the vampire replied and allowed her body to fall forwards, head diving to the ground. Bridget heard the vampire cheer as she fell, a cackling laughter to follow at the thud of her landing on the ground.

"Who's next?" she called up and Logan gestured to Bernice,

"Fancy a go, doll?" he asked and flashed her a charming smile.

"Haven't you done this yet?" Bridget asked.

"No." Bernice gave a nervous laughter. She stepped forward, taking Logan's hand and let him help her up onto the railings.

"Oh my," she said, laughing and tried to hold her skirt down. The wind had picked up, tossing her blonde hair about. Logan climbed up beside her, slinking his arms around her waist. For a second, they shared a look, right into each other's eyes and both smiled.

Bridget caught a sneaky glimpse at Alan in the corner of her eyes. He had been looking at Bernice and Logan but now his gaze was focused on Bridget. A small smile was shared between them, interrupted when Bernice let out a shriek and Bridget saw the blur of the two vampires leaping off together.

"They seem… _friendly_ with each other," Bridget said.

"They do seem to like each other," Alan agreed.

"Like like?"

"Like like."

She wasn't looking at him, staring back into the distance when she felt his arm disappear from her waist, only for his fingers to link between hers and she grinned.

"I did miss you, you know," she said.

"Missed you too. I was really worried about you."

"Really?"

"You're my girl. I had no idea what was happening to you," he said, nudging her with his elbow. "I promised I'd have your back."

She smiled, squeezing his hand once. She could feel herself leaning closer, head tilting to the side and she knew Alan was doing the same. His eyes kept glancing down to her lips.

"That's such an Alan thing to say," she whispered.

"I'm not completely different, y'know," he said, about to close the gap between their lips.

"Hey teeny boppers! Get your arses down here!" Ruby shouted.

Bridget laughed, gesturing to Alan and the railings as they pulled away.

"And Ruby manages to ruin the moment again," she said. "You going for it?"

"Jumping off towers? I don't get it."

Still, he walked over and leaped onto the railings, balancing confidently as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Not your idea of fun? Alcohol and jumping off things?"

He shrugged, looking down. Ruby, Logan and Bernice were cheering. Egging him on to jump.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "Being able to do things without getting hurt. There's something powerful about it. But I wouldn't spend all night doing it."

With another shrug, he hopped off and disappeared. The other vampires whooped and laughed. There was even a laugh from Alan when she heard the thud of him landing.

"Come on, little sis!" Ruby called.

"Your turn, doll!" Logan added.

Bridget took a deep breath, stepping towards the railings. Peering over, she saw the ground. A good distance from the top of the tower. Four vampires looked up at her, offering shouts of encouragement.

"You'll be fine! A half vampire can easily do it," Bernice shouted.

"Have some fun for once," Ruby said.

 _For once,_ Bridget thought. Ruby had a point. How long had it been since she had been able to have fun or chill out? She fought all the time now, always having vampirism on her mind. Up until now, she hadn't even thought about her thirst or what she was in danger of becoming. She had enjoyed the freedom of her worries and conscious.

After a step back, she pushed herself up. One big leap onto the railings with a cat-like grace to her movements. She balanced with ease, feet apart and she stared into the distance again. Her eyes attracted to that golden halo of lights that illuminated the houses in the suburbs. Right underneath a blanket of shimmering stars. She watched them flicker. Smaller… smaller… then bigger. As a human she would have only seen a pitch black sky, straining her eyes to catch to glimpse of a star or even a constellation. Now she could see them clearly. Sharp and bright. White, sparkling dots peppered across the sky.

" _Jump, jump, jump, jump…!_ "

She was brought back by Logan and Ruby chanting. They cheered her on, beams on their faces and laughing. Bridget turned around on the railings, back now facing the horizon. She spread her arms out at her sides and, after closing her eyes, she fell backwards.

The vampires whooped. She shrieked.

She fell fast. Her hair was a wild mane. But her instincts moved faster. She flipped her whole body. A back flip in the air until she was upright. She bent her knees, ready to land and did so, hands touching the ground to steady herself. A gasped escaped her lips, a smile breaking out on her face and she laughed as she straightened. Arms flung around her neck, following by a cackling laugh.

"Wasn't that fun?" Ruby asked and let go of Bridget. Logan came up to slap her on the back.

"You did it, doll."

Bridget whooped, hands curled into fists as she pumped the air in celebration. She spun on her heel, laughing with everyone.

"What did you think?" Bernice asked.

"Such a rush!" Bridget said and ran a hand through her hair. Her heart raced, energy bubbling up inside. She caught Alan's stare and responded with her own grin.

Being able to manage a fall like that without hurting or killing herself felt exactly how Alan had described it. Powerful. She could do so much more now. Move with a speed, strength and an agility she would have never had as a human. She almost wondered why being a vampire was something she was so scared of. Why she was trying to be distant and hold herself back.

So she acted. She forced herself to stop worrying. To stop being careful. There were things that she wanted that would make her happy. And that's all she wanted. To be happy.

Bridget dashed forward, running straight to Alan. There was a grin on her face as she flung her arms around his neck. Her sudden movements didn't shock him as he managed to catch her, holding her around the waist.

"Hi," he said, smiling at the sudden glint in her eyes.

"To hell with it," she said and caught his top lip between hers.

"Oh, get a room," she heard Ruby tease.

In response, Bridget held one hand up, flipping the vampire her middle finger. Despite the teasing, she continued to kiss Alan, even being the brave one by grazing the tip of her tongue against his lips.

"Let them catch up," Logan said. He swung an arm around Bernice's shoulder. "Downtown anyone?"

It wasn't clear whether or not Bridget and Alan had heard Logan's proposal. They still kissed, not once responding. Not even when Ruby teased them one last time with a wolf whistle and suggestion that there would be plenty of rooms available in the old prison if they wanted a proper catch up.

"You're gross," Bridget said, finally breaking away. She still however kept her arms wrapped around Alan, laughing when he began a trail of quick pecks from her cheek down to her neck. "I'll need to go back soon."

"At least come down to the clubs with us," Bernice said, smiling at her sister. "Just a bit longer. You're having fun, right?"

"I am. But that's probably not a good idea to be in a room full of humans. I might give in."

"Good. All the more reason to come with us," Ruby said.

Bridget shook her head. "I can't."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You can't have it both ways. You either want to be human or you want to be a vampire. Look at you, you're wasting away. You're not going to survive as a half vampire so you have two choices. Unfortunately, one of those choices means you'll make an enemy out of us so I wouldn't recommend that."

She looked at Alan briefly before raising an eyebrow up at Bridget. "Embrace it, kid sister. Because even if you do decide to try and opt for humanity, do you really think you can go back knowing the kind of thoughts you've been getting in your head? Knowing how much of a monster you really wanted to be?"

"I'm not a monster," Bridget snapped, jerking out of Alan's arms to face Ruby squarely.

"You are to _them_ right now," she said. "Those little hunter friends of yours. Remember how they treated Alan?"

"You know what Edgar's like," Alan agreed.

"I can't, okay?" Bridget growled. "I can't make that choice."

A small smile, cold and almost mocking flashed on Ruby's face. "Then maybe we'll make the choice for you."

For a second, Bridget honestly thought that was it. They were going to take her and force her to feed, just like they did to Bernice and Alan. She froze, jaw hung open. But instead Ruby snickered, completely losing the friendly attitude she had shown towards her for the night. It was reminder of who she was actually with. Vampires who were supposed to be her enemies. Cruel and uncaring towards humans, their food source who they gladly killed.

"See how long you last," Ruby said. "Every night that thirst gets stronger. That vampire inside of you is more drawn to us than those humans you keep trying to side with."

"I don't want to hear this," Bridget said, snarling at Ruby as she stormed past the vampire. She heard Ruby's laughter echoing behind her as she quickened her pace, her walk shifting into a dash as she left the vampires behind.

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review. :) Chapter 13 will be uploaded next Saturday.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Raindrop: Haha, I think I was always this evil. The vampires just make it worse. =P Thank you for reviewing. :)**

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Bridget had never felt so confused in her life. When she realised how strong her feelings towards Alan were, she knew that hadn't been as confusing. It had been more of a slow, a _very_ slow, realisation that she had quickly come to accept. Especially when she thought she was in danger of losing him to vampires. She had wanted to make her feelings known, in the hopes that it would have encouraged him to keep fighting.

She scoffed aloud. So much for admitting feelings. Alan was a vampire and because of their relationship, he had gone and turned her in the process. Emotions had gotten them into a lot of trouble.

A trouble that had split in her two. And she feared one side was becoming the more dominant one. Up until the vampires had wanted to head to Downtown, she had been having fun. She, although reluctantly, had enjoyed their company. A nice change from being seen as a monster on the verge of snapping. It was mentally tiring experiencing Edgar's inability to be sympathetic. Thinking about her words, her actions. A constant walk on eggshells to the point where she felt unable to move at all in worry that she'll do or say something they didn't like. And Edgar still didn't seem to realise that it was a mistake he had made with Alan. He couldn't help being Vampire Hunter Edgar, not Close Friend Edgar. He didn't understand what it was like to be a half vampire. He hadn't learnt that treating everyone who was a half like they were already evil only resulted in being pushed away. Or at least he couldn't stop himself from falling back into that state of mind.

What tore her apart was that it wasn't just Edgar making her feel completely alone. She could sense judgement from everyone else. Blake, Bonnie and Sam. Two of them were supposed to be her best friends. Somehow she could understand their wariness. The minute she had found out Alan was a half vampire, she wasn't even able to look at him. She had doubted at times if she should have continued their relationship since half vampires were the worst at keeping themselves in control. Bonnie had attempted to feed on her twice when she was half. There had been a few times when Bridget had almost given into her thirst. She understood everything her friends were scared of.

But being the one everyone was wary off still stung. It was isolating.

It were these thoughts that made her think. Was it all worth fighting for her humanity? She was miserable. In pain. Trapped inside a body that was slowly becoming a creature that was dark and vicious. Would it better to give in to that creature and feed? Fprget about being a human girl?

"Alan, stop following me," she said, sighing as she turned around. She had decided to walk back to Sam's, refusing to fly. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do. Give in to those new abilities that only seduced her more into turning. But she had sensed someone catching up with her as she got to the trail leading to Sam's house. Someone she needed to stay away from, more than anyone else.

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you walk away upset and by yourself?" he asked.

Her words were muttered but she knew he would hear anyway. "Maybe we shouldn't be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore."

There was a sigh from him and he picked up his speed, moving to stand in front of her. In his hand, there was a branch. Thin but sharp. He offered it to her, almost shoving it into her hand before he stood close with his arms outstretched.

"Kill me then. That's the only cure so if you really don't want to be a vampire, now's your chance. You can put an end to it all right now." He dipped his head, eyes lowered to the ground. "I'll let you do if you're really unhappy. I hate it if I've done that to you."

The branch shook in her hand. Her eyes flicked back and forth. From the stake. To his eyes. Where his heart was. He was silent and grim now, standing perfectly still. No further encouragement nor any sort of persuasion to put her off. It was her choice alone.

She ended up dropping the stick, bursting into hysterical sobs. She trembled and wailed, hands flying up to cover her eyes. It sounded like she was trying to get words out but it was hard to tell. Hard to translate. She had dissolved into a hysterical fit of shaking and sobbing.

Alan raised his eyebrows. At first he moved to rub at the back of his neck. Even with someone he was very close to, the sight of crying made him flinch. He felt almost paralysed and unsure. It was an explosion of emotion that he had never properly learnt how to deal with. Never finding out what the best things to say were. It had made situations extremely uncomfortable when he was human and it was the same now as a vampire.

But slowly, his arms made their way around her. The sound of her cries brought out an instinct to comfort her. He did however keep his arms loose around her shoulders at first, waiting for another hysterical reaction from her in case it was the wrong thing to do. But she shuffled closer, burying her wet face into his chest and his grip tightened. She still cried, shoulders shaking from each sob but at least she wasn't loud enough to be heard from the Boardwalk now.

"I don't know what I want," she finally said, after she was able to regain the ability to speak. She sniffed once and leaned her upper body away to glance up at him. Splodges of red stood out on her face. Blotchy marks from crying and her eyes were puffy.

"I want blood but I don't want to kill. Or I feel like I shouldn't because I'm supposed to be a vampire hunter. I want to be human but I don't want to kill you to do so. I want my friends and parents again but I want you and Bernice as well."

Alan shook his head. "I can't say you can have all of that. Staying as a half vampire isn't going to work. Logan says you're pretty much a vampire whether you've killed or not. Killing is that final step into leaving behind humanity. You're wasting away if you don't feed. You'll die."

"I don't want to die either," she whispered. She sighed, pulling away from him and rubbing at her eyes. "But maybe that's the only rest I'll get. At least you'll be safe if I just die."

"No!" Hands grabbed hers, not forcefully but still with a tight grip. "Get that out of your head. You're not dying. Don't…" his voice trailed off and Bridget wondered if he was going to suddenly burst into tears himself. She expected to see the glistening of a tear in his eyes but even as a human, Alan Frog was not someone was cried over things. He faced everything and responded to everything with a steely scowl. But there was desperation in his gaze, a mental plea from his wide eyes, and he clutched onto her hands as if worried she would disappear if he let go.

"Don't leave me in that way," he said.

"Isn't one of us going to die anyway?" Bridget asked. "You know eventually Edgar's going to try and do his duty. Every day I don't feed means I end up getting weaker until I'll starve to death."

"Then maybe you should start considering that other option. The one where our relationship doesn't have to be complicated and we've stopped being on different sides." His thumbs had started to stroke the skin on her hands up and down. "Neither of us need to sacrifice ourselves for each other. We should both be happy."

"I hate complicated," she muttered and with a sigh, she pulled her hands out of his. "Maybe you'll get your wish. I'm hungry to the point where I'm on the verge of snapping. Maybe I'm near that point where I won't care if I'm a monster."

She began walking again, in the direction of Sam's. Alan's arm swung around her waist. She leaned in but carried on walking.

"You're not a monster. That need we have can't be helped," he said and Bridget thought she almost caught a frown on his face. But when she looked at him properly, he was blank. Whether he was feeling some disdain towards being a vampire, she struggled to tell. And wanted to respect his privacy and not poke around in his mind.

"Do you like being a vampire?" she asked before she could stop herself. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer. She expected him to come out with some sickening and terrifying. That he enjoyed killing people now. That he didn't care about humanity. And maybe part of her wanted to hear that. It could scare her away completely. Despite being vampires, Bernice and Alan still acted the same towards her. The protective older sister and the caring boyfriend. It made it harder to stay away.

"It's different than I thought it would be," he said. "Maybe I'm still new to the whole thing but I don't feel like I want to go around killing people like some mindless zombie. Or maybe that's what I mistook vampires to be. I kill for blood but only because I'm thirsty and I can't help that urge."

"Do you care when you kill?"

"You really want to know the answer?"

After a second hesitation she nodded slowly.

"No. I need to survive now. What else can I do? Mope and whine about it? I let myself give in and this is what I am from now on. Tough shit."

"If I don't decide to turn are you going to force me to feed?" she asked. Again, another question that she wasn't quite sure she wanted to hear the answer for but the words escaped before she could think to even stop herself.

"I wouldn't do what Logan did to Bernice or me. That's not who I am. But I'll be bummed if I didn't get to spend forever with you. You're not the only one struggling to be apart. It's been hard… not having you around, that is."

She glanced up, a small smile on her lips. Alan's words had a sweetness about them and that pushed her further away from humanity. It was a tempting image. Together forever. It wasn't everyone she wanted but at least having her sister and boyfriend could still make her happy.

Still walking, she reached up to kiss his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder again. Another smile as his hand squeezed her side.

Had it only been two weeks since Alan turned and she was given his blood to cheat death? After running away, being dragged back home and hearing about all the chaos Marko and Charlotte had been causing, the last two weeks had felt like a year. One long, painful year of the life she had known slowly slipping away, shifting into a strange, parallel world. The total opposite of how life should have been panning out.

"That night you took your first kill and turned me feels like years ago," she said. "I'm so exhausted by it."

"Quicker we annihilate Marko and Charlotte, the quicker we can all move on. I'm out of here once we've staked those two freaks."

"Not breaking any vampire rules by killing your own kind?"

"I don't think there are any vampire councils or anything like that. Vampires are their own pack. Basic rules. Feed but don't draw attention. And Max's pack were idiotic enough to do that. The police might not have gotten off their lazy asses but people knew something was up with this town. That pack was careless. And now we have a former member and your former best friend fucking around."

"Are you really going to leave Santa Carla?" Bridget asked.

"What's left for me here?"

"Your brother?"

"I stopped being Edgar's brother the minute I was turned. Maybe he doesn't want to admit it but I was a vampire whether I killed or hadn't killed. He lost all trust in me and what I really needed was support."

"You turning has hit him hard. Honestly."

"Good," he muttered. His features had hardened, clenched at the jaw, and anger stirred which awakened the yellow of his eyes. The bitterness he had towards Edgar was still strong. He couldn't seem to untangle himself from the grudge he felt against the one person he always thought he could count on. When he had first turned, discovered that his whole body, mind and soul had been poisoned with vampire blood the first person who came to mind, that he wanted to rely on for comfort, was Edgar

Before they came to live with their aunt and uncle, it had been Edgar raising Alan. Alan still had the memories of being taught how to tie his shoelaces by him. Running around the beaten down trailer park they were raised in playing superheroes. Edgar's Superman to Alan's Spider-Man. That should have been the brother by his side when he was a half vampire but instead Alan was feared.

Bridget sighed at the sneer on Alan's lips and ended the conversation there. His animosity towards Edgar was not going to disappear any time soon. Together they walked quietly for the rest of the hike towards Sam's house. She could see lights on in the distance. Yellow glows through the trees and she slowed her pace, straightening up.

"They're up," she said and took a deep breath in. "Shit."

"They can't keep you locked up."

"They're not. They've got a right to be pissed if I'm going off with you guys."

"Why?"

"You're the enemies. I'm supposed to be fighting for my humanity."

"Supposed to be," he repeated. "You don't really want to though, do you? It's just what you feel you should do. Like a duty. Believe me, I know. I remember what it's like."

She didn't reply to him, slowly moving his arm off her and instead wrapped her own arms around her. She clutched at the material of her jacket and forced herself to keep walking. Straight to Sam's house. She could hear voices getting louder as they got closer. Biting her lip, she glanced at Alan.

"You can turn away and come back with me if you want," he offered.

"No," she said and entered the property. Down the gravelled path towards the large cabin house. Stones and dirt crunched under their footsteps. Alan drew back slightly, allowing her to lead the way and when she came to the door she turned back to look at him.

"You should go," she said. "I don't want them to do anything to you."

"Edgar won't kill me," he replied with a shrug. "He can't do it."

"Don't test them," she warned, whipping her head to the sound of footsteps marching straight to the door. She froze, eyes wide and watched it swing open to face Edgar. His eyes caught sight of Alan who stood stoic behind her.

"Have you been with them?" he asked Bridget, turning his scowl on her.

"I just went out," she mumbled and dipped her head. She felt like she had been caught sneaking out by her parents. She half expected Edgar to lecture her and ground her. She sighed and gestured to the house. "Can I come in?"

"Just be honest," he said. "Where did you go?"

"To get away and have some fun for once," Alan said. He came up, standing next to Bridget and once again his arm was around her, casually hanging over her shoulders.

"You're not helping," she whispered to him.

"It starts to suck when people see you as a monster," Alan continued, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

"I'm not treating her like that," Edgar argued. "But I'm going to be wary if she's off with your pack when she's supposed to be on _our_ side."

"I just went out," Bridget repeated, sighing once and ran a hand through her hair. "I needed some space."

She marched in, pushing past Edgar and, to his annoyance, Alan followed. Blake, Bonnie and Sam were up as well. Gathered in the living room and dressed in comfy, dark clothing. Hunter clothing. Bridget bit her lip and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she came towards them.

"You scared the freaking crap out of us," Bonnie said. She dropped the bottle of Holy water onto the couch.

"Sorry," Bridget mumbled.

"You need to keep away from her," Sam said to Alan. He wasn't scowling like Edgar was but his voice was clipped. Sharp and disapproving. There was no fooling Sam. He missed Alan, having been one of his closest friends. But he had to have a different attitude towards Alan now. He had to see him as the enemy if he wanted to stay alive.

"I'm not allowed to hang out with her?" Alan asked.

"Stop acting all innocent," Edgar snapped. "You're not hanging out. You're coaxing her into turning. Getting into her head to become a filthy bloodsucker."

"I really don't want to stand around arguing," Bridget said. "Look, I'm back. I'm still a half vampire."

"Thing is, fang face, we need to be able to trust you," Blake said. He collapsed on the armchair with his feet up on the table. "Your friends could do without another full vampire running about. You're making that hard if you're purposely seeking them to go hang out."

"You guys talk about trust a lot," Alan said. "How about you take your own advice? You automatically don't trust her because she's a half. That wasn't her fault. I made that decision for her. She needs to be able to depend on you lot as well."

"That's a load of bull," Edgar argued. "We're not the bloodsuckers here. Of course we're trustworthy."

"Ed, you don't learn, do you?" Alan asked. He stepped towards his brother with a snarl on his lips. "You're doing exactly what you did to me. You're making her out to be the enemy and she hasn't even done anything yet. That support you fail to give only has one path… _you lose us_."

He shook his head, scoffing at his older brother before glancing at Bridget. "You know where we are if you need better support."

"You know where they are?" Edgar asked Bridget, not bothering to acknowledge his brother marching out of Sam's house.

"Can we _not_ do this?" She rubbed at her temples, ducking her head.

"No, we _are_ doing this. I am fed up of dealing with half vampires who don't even try and help themselves. You're not in control, Bridget," he snapped, pointing a finger at her. She looked up at him reluctantly, noticing the furious shine in his eyes. "You're giving in. I know it must be a hard thing to go through but if you really want to be human again you're with us and only us. So be honest, do you know where they're based?"

"Brid, just be honest," Bonnie whispered. She had come close to her friend, nudging her gently in the back.

"I know where they are," Bridget said quietly. "That night I was turned, I'd stayed the night."

"Willingly?" Sam asked.

"I was scared, okay? I didn't know where else to go."

"You should have come to us," Edgar said and Bridget scoffed.

"Ed, the minute one of us is turned half you can't help but stay in hunter mode. Didn't you listen to Alan then?"

"I don't tend to listen to bloodsuckers," Edgar muttered.

"I was recently turned. Already feeling the hunger and feeling the changes," Bridget said. "The last thing I needed was to be treated differently. You freak out on us, Ed. It's the not the motivation I need to fight."

"And shacking up with nightcrawlers isn't what _we_ need," he snapped.

"Ed," Bonnie sighed.

"Don't 'Ed' me. I've told you I've had it," Edgar said before turning back to Bridget. "Brid, if you want to be human, you stay with us. That doesn't mean go off on your own or with them. But if you're not even going to try and keep away, you can get the fuck out right now and deal with it yourself. So what's it going to be?"

Bridget swallowed thickly, fighting back tears. Her eyes were already sore from crying in front of Alan minutes ago. Feeling the familiar prickling on her nose and her vision blurring was weakening. She was exhausted from the emotional mess she felt she constantly was nowadays. She switched rapidly from angry to hungry to upset so fast she hardly knew what she was feeling half the time. Above all, however, she was tired. Tired of how she was seen. Tired of being hounded to feed. Tired of resisting.

"I'll fight harder," she mumbled. "Mind if I go upstairs? I need to lie down."

"Are you sure that's what you're going to do?" Edgar asked.

"Edgar, can we not continue this argument?" Sam sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. It stood up on all ends and he tried to glare at Edgar through heavy eyelids.

"What was the point of me coming back if I'm just going to jump out of the window again?" Bridget asked and she sighed at Edgar. "If I wanted to stay with them, I would have done exactly that."

She folded her arms, trudging up the stairs while she began to hear the mumblings of her friends. She heard Edgar mutter that she couldn't be trusted. She heard Bonnie trying to calm him down and make him think reasonably about what Bridget was experiencing. Sam mumbled about wanting to go back to sleep, more or less siding with Bonnie. It was nice to hear some support from her friends, especially Bonnie who had been her best friend since they were in elementary school. At least Bonnie still remembered what it was like to be a half vampire and used that to calm Edgar down.

She just wished that was enough support to keep the monster inside at bay completely.

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 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review. Next chapter will be up on Saturday. :)**


	15. Chapter 14

**Raindrop: Glad you're still enjoying it! :) Bridget's been pretty good so far... it's clearly time to mess with that. =P**

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Imogen was getting ready to sneak out after spending most of the day asleep. She had managed to skip school that day. Being a half vampire actually made her look ill and her parents agreed to keep her off. Now they were leaving her to attend a meal with work friends and wouldn't be home until late.

She stuffed pillows under her duvet, hastily getting dressed, and grabbed her keys to drive to the Boardwalk. The horror of what had happened to her and what was really lurking in Santa Carla had disappeared for now. She was ready to act. Get her Head Vampire staked so she could return to her normal life.

A frown tugged down on her lips at the sight of her reflection as she went to brush her hair. She was faded, hard to see, so she dumped the brush down on the bathroom sink. With a defeated sigh, she pulled a hair bobble out of her pocket to tie her thick red hair up.

Pain shot through her. Griping and stabbing and she knew why she was getting these pains now. She could not stop thinking about blood and drinking it. Finding someone and biting deep down into their veins, relishing in the fresh, warm liquid that would be the answer to stopping the agony. But it would also mean stopping her humanity. She had done well in her SATs. Her teachers had recommended her to apply to respectable colleges and she had a successful future ahead of her. Where she was in a job with very good money, married to Bobby and living in a large house in a much nicer town than Santa Carla. That was the future she wanted and she was not going to let vampires get in the way of that. To hell with these lunatic monsters who had decided to initiate her into their gang. Whatever issues they were having, she didn't care and didn't want to be part of that.

She gave a stern nod in the mirror and went to leave the house for the comic store.

And stopped.

She was getting that feeling again. The same sense that had told her a vampire was at the front door last night at Sam's. No-one knocked at her door but she knew someone was there. And there was something off. If it had been a human she would have heard their heart beat. She concentrate, straining her hearing but there was nothing. Not even the rich scent of blood.

Vampires. It had to be. There was definitely a vampire behind that door.

It wasn't Bridget. She was a half too but she remembered picking up a slow heart beat from her. She couldn't smell blood, or at least blood that appealed to her. But there were still things about Bridget that she could still hear or sense. With a full vampire, she got nothing. Blood that didn't appease to her cravings and no heartbeat.

 _Maybe it's that vampire from last night,_ she wondered. _He's supposed to be helping._

Instinct told her not to open the door. Whoever was behind there was not friendly. But she needed to get the comic store and help out with this hunt. Track down the vampire who turned her before her cravings worsened.

"I know you're behind there," she called out. She stood at the top of the stairs, arms folded as a protective shield across her chest. Like that would do anything but she felt slightly better.

"Then why don't you come out and we can introduce ourselves?" a male voice replied and a chuckle followed. "I don't bite… half vampires that is." Again, another chuckle. Whoever this male vampire was, he found himself too amusing. Laughed too much already.

"I don't want any trouble," she said.

"I'm not here to cause trouble. I gave you my blood. Why would I want trouble with someone I've turned?"

Sam had offered more information on vampires on the drive back to her house last night. Stakes worked along with typical religious artefacts. Unfortunately she wasn't able to touch anything holy herself but she could still have a stake. Sam had given her one of his for protection and she moved her hand to the opening of her bag, ready to grab if needed. Slowly, she made her way down the stairs and towards the front door. If this was the vampire who turned her, she was finally going to see his face.

Instead of opening the door fully, she put the chain on and then opened it. She peeked through the crack. A young man, about nineteen, was on her porch. He dressed scruffy and almost biker-like. Chaps over jeans with black boots, caked in dust and mud. A white wife-beater that showed off his toned, flat stomach and a jacket that was covered in patches and fabric. His hair was curly and blonde, short at the front but hung long at the back. To finish off his look she noticed an earring in his left ear and fingerless gloves. He smiled at her, an almost sweet smile to match his angelic features. He looked too soft to be dressing up as a biker.

"Imogen, right?" he asked.

"Why me?"

He chuckled again, raising a hand to his mouth as if to hide his smile.

"I did actually intend to turn your boyfriend. But I'm told you could be good too. You've figured out what you are now?"

She gawped at him. "Bobby? You wanted Bobby?" Then she shook her head, thinking back to what else he had just said. He was told she would be suitable? So it was someone who knew her. Knew her and Bobby well enough to present as possible vampires.

"Well, you still have the wrong person. How dare you turn me? I don't want anything to do with your world!"

"As soon as you feel that hunger, you won't have a choice. You'll kill, just to be free of fighting. Get used to me, girl. You'll be in my pack sooner than you think. And when you are, you'll see what being a vampire is like. You'll love it."

"Don't tell me what I'll do and like," she snapped at him.

He laughed. "You're feisty. I'd say that was good but I've dealt with feisty girls before. They're trouble."

"I don't intend to be trouble. I just want you to stay away from me and I'll stay away from you."

"Smart girl. I'll stay away. Until you feed."

He was gone in a flash. She had seen him turn but then disappear before her eyes. She blinked, unlocking the chain and opening the door wide open to spot him. He was nowhere in sight and she shuddered, digging out her keys from her bag. The faster she could get to the comic store, the safer she would feel.

"Babe!"

 _Oh, no,_ she thought and turned to Bobby. He was walking up her path, a beam on his face and arms outstretched. He wanted a welcome hug but she turned her back on him, hunching up and closing the door.

"Where were you today?" he asked.

She froze as she felt his presence come up close to her. Arms snaked around her waist and he leaned his head forward to kiss her cheek from behind. She smelt his strong, musky cologne but also the warm blood running through his veins. She wanted to turn around and sink her teeth straight into his throat right there. Steal away his life and soul to take into her own body. She closed her eyes, inhaling in deep but suddenly shook her head and jerked away. He frowned at her.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"Sorry. I'm just ill. Cold. You don't want to get it."

He folded his arms. "If you're ill, then how come you're going out?"

"I'm not. I need to work and they don't have anyone to cover for me."

"Don't work if you're ill. If they're short staffed then that's their problem."

He walked down the garden path with her, sticking close and she could feel her throat drying up. She pressed her lips together as she felt her teeth ache, desperate to lengthen.

"I have to," she muttered. "Sorry."

"Imogen, what's wrong?" He took her wrist. A gentle hold and darted in front of her. She glanced up at him, poker-faced as she tried not to feel any emotion. She wanted Bobby more than ever. He was her boyfriend. The one who knew how to cheer her up when she was feeling down and she needed his comfort right now. But he was in danger. His blood was too hypnotising. Calling out to her to drink and she couldn't allow herself to turn on the boy she loved.

She sighed and stepped away from him.

"Just leave me alone," she snapped. "I need time to myself."

"Babe?"

"Don't 'babe' me. I just want to go to work and have some time away. Okay? Go home, Bobby."

Her face crinkled as she marched past him and she fought back sobs. She had never been rude to him but she thought it was best to make him angry at her. Feel that she was being funny and encourage him to step away. To back off.

She let a tear trickle down her cheek as she stormed off to her car and left Bobby standing confused on her garden path.

* * *

"Hey," Sam greeted as Imogen walked into the comic store. He frowned at her red face. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, wiping away more tears. She had cried her way to the Boardwalk, feeling her guts twist and heart rise up to her throat at how rude she was to Bobby. She hoped she hadn't driven him away for good. Just been moody enough for him to feel like he should take a break and let her cool down. They had had their share of fights before in the past. Normally, they spent time away from each other. Time varied. A day or so. Then they would come back, apologise and laugh at each other for being so silly. Make up sex was always a bonus too.

"Just had to push Bobby away," she said, sighing and Sam flashed her a sympathetic smile.

"He's in danger if you don't. I'm sure you two will be fine," he said and she smiled back.

"Thanks, Sam." She reached out and touched his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You're actually a sweet guy."

He laughed, gesturing her to come into the shop. "You sound surprised."

She gave a small shrug. "I think I've been a bit unfair to you and all of your friends." She stopped and looked at the gang that had gathered in the store. Bonnie and Bridget were reading comics near the back. She noticed Bridget had a hooded jacket on, face concealed underneath the hood. When they saw Imogen wander in, they placed them on the shelves and came to the counter where Edgar, Blake and Logan stood. There was another girl too. A tall girl, dressed from the seventies. She had long dark hair, sleek and shiny. Incredibly straight with bangs to frame her grey eyes. She was pale. Smooth, porcelain skin with a slender, curvy figure. Imogen had never been jealous of anyone in her life. She was Imogen Reece. The most popular girl in school and knew she had the perfect looks to go with her perfect social status and grades. A few girls at school would have called that narcissism. That she was vain and too into her looks. Imogen called it confidence.

But now she felt what those other girls must have felt. Insecurity. A horrible realisation that there were girls prettier than them. Imogen felt something she had never felt before. Insecure. This raven haired girl was a complete stunner and Imogen found herself shrinking back under this girl's steely gaze.

"Is this the Prom Queen?" the girl asked and she smirked. She had a cruel smile. "So you're Alan's old crush? I don't see much."

Imogen gawped at the abrupt rudeness of this girl who cackled. Actually cackled. She threw her head back, mouth parting and proceeded to sound like the Wicked Witch of the West.

"Apologies for Ruby," Logan said and nudged his friend. "She lacks social manners."

"Plus she's a vampire and they're always going to be a bunch of assholes," Blake added and the three shared a glare.

Imogen raised an eyebrow, especially when Bridget came over. She raised her chin high, quickly getting over this Ruby's insult and bitchiness. After all, she was capable of having her own razor sharp tongue as well.

"Well, I don't feel too threatened when she laughs like a witch. Honey, it's a good thing you're stunning. You need something to make up for that laugh," Imogen said.

Ruby's grin was wiped off her face and for a second, Imogen thought that she had just made an enemy by bringing out her bitchy self. But after staring at Imogen, mouth agape, Ruby snorted and gave a shrug.

"Touché," she said.

"There's the insulting Imogen we all know. Welcome back, Prom Bitch," Bridget said and Imogen noticed she was fighting back a smirk. "The simpering, scared girl act last night so wasn't you."

"Thanks, loser," Imogen said and for the first time, the girls actually smiled at each other. The boys, including Logan, frowned at the scene before them. Insults had been flying around yet there was Bonnie, Bridget, Ruby and Imogen snickering away and all four seemed to have a grin on their faces. Like their insults actually pleased them. Edgar and Sam glanced at each other and shrugged.

"I don't get it," Edgar whispered to Sam.

"I don't think we're meant to."

"Okay, you're cool," Ruby said to Imogen with a casual wave of her hand. "Still don't get Alan's crush but, eh, whatever used to rock that guy's boat."

"Alan's here? So he's…?" She stopped when she saw Edgar stiffen and clench his jaw.

"One of them," he said quietly and cast a scowl at Ruby and Logan.

"Half or…?"

"Completely," Edgar answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Imogen said. "Alan was such a nice guy. A bit weird but he was nice."

"He's fine, doll. Better than ever," Logan said and she frowned at him.

"But vampires are the bad guys."

"Yet here are a bunch of vampires, half vampires and humans working together to stop the real bad guys," he pointed out. "Things aren't that black and white."

"I think I met the real bad guy. He said he turned me."

"Tell us everything," Edgar demanded, marching straight up to her.

"Well," she began and dumped her bag on the counter. "This guy came to my house. A biker guy? Curly hair and blonde. Ridiculously colourful jacket –."

"Marko," Bonnie said and tensed. Imogen noticed her heartbeat picked up. Bridget must have too because she moved away from Bonnie and raised a hand to her mouth. She stood nearer to Logan and Ruby where Blake began to carefully watch her.

"Is that his name? So you all definitely know him?" Imogen asked.

"Oh, we know him," Bonnie said through gritted teeth. " _I_ know him."

Imogen's eyebrows knitted together, sensing more history between Marko and Bonnie than the copper haired girl cared to share. But she didn't push. There seemed to be a lot of sensitive subjects in the gang and out of respect, she chose not to question and dig deeper. Besides, this would all be over soon and she was determined to leave this part of her life behind. Make it become more like a bad dream that she could hardly recall in years to come.

"What did he want?" Sam asked.

"Said I'll be part of his pack soon. For what reason, I don't know."

"He wants numbers," Logan said. "We had a bit of an argument. He wasn't very good at following my lead. So he's creating his own pack just to kill us." He gestured to everyone, vampires and humans.

"Unfortunately that means a vampire pack battle and the number of missing or dead people are increasing," Edgar added.

"So is that why you're all working together? Numbers?"

"We share a common dislike towards Marko," Logan said, nodding. "Benefits for both sides if we teamed up."

"Benefits?" Edgar muttered and a scoff followed.

Logan smirked in Edgar's direction before turning back to Imogen. "How's the change going? Nearly killed anyone yet?"

The way he asked that question had been so casual. The start of friendly small talk and Imogen wrinkled her nose at Logan, her teeth baring in a grimace.

"Horribly fast. I can't stop thinking about blood."

Bridget flashed her a sympathetic smile. "That hunger comes way too soon."

"We'll kill Marko," Bonnie said and turned to everyone. "We should probably meet up with Alan and Bernice to start hunting."

Imogen raised an eyebrow at the mention of Bernice's name. Edgar called out to Uncle Gerry that he was ready to leave, giving a small wave before being the one to lead everyone out. Imogen stayed behind to walk near Bridget and nudged her as the group walked out of the store.

"Bernice too?" she asked Bridget who sighed and nodded slowly.

"We've lost a few of us to vampires," she said. "Not just through death."

* * *

Imogen couldn't help but widen her eyes when they met up with Alan and Bernice in the seedy Downtown area of Santa Carla. They were waiting in a narrow alleyway, deserted and behind the clubs. She wondered if they had to keep a low profile if they were now vampires and were supposed to be dead.

Both were pale. Not drained of colour and ill looking like Bridget. Pale from a lack of sunlight even though it hadn't been long since Imogen had last seen both of them at school. In fact it had only been two weeks since both of them had been declared officially missing. Bernice smiled when she saw her sister, coming straight to welcome her with a hug. But as she smiled, Imogen noticed it reminded her of Ruby's smile. It never reached her eyes and there was a coldness to it. She moved gracefully, skirt swishing around her legs as she bounced over. Such a cat-like grace to her movements. Bernice had always been a sweet looking girl. Soft, wavy hair and perfect make-up. But even Bernice had not been able to escape the perils of teenage spots and blemishes. Foundation had never been able to hide the shine to her forehead and cheeks. Now as a vampire, her skin looked flawless. Again, Imogen felt a pang of jealousy.

Her eyes travelled to Alan. He stood straight now. Not that he was always hunched up but he did have a habit of shrinking into himself at school when he wasn't surrounded by his brother and friends. Knowing he was a vampire, she half expected him to be dressed in dark clothes like Logan. Black to match the constant night he was now a part of. Instead he was dressed in his usual style albeit a bit more subtle military than one hundred per cent camouflage soldier. His jeans were dirty and wrinkled and he wore an olive green air force jacket over a plain white t-shirt. Dog tags still hung around his neck but his beret was missing. Like Bernice, he skin appeared smoother. No longer did he have random spots dotted around his face. With his dark hair, the paleness of his skin stood out more. He actually looked quite handsome to Imogen's surprise.

He raised his chin as everyone walked towards him and Bernice. Imogen looked at Edgar, seeing the older Frog brother's jaw tighten. A muscle twitching in his cheek. His eyes met his brother's briefly before he averted his gaze. Imogen wanted to flash him a sympathetic smile or offer a comforting word. She couldn't imagine the torment Edgar must be going through. If he was a vampire hunter, seeing his brother turned must have teared his heart into pieces.

Edgar cleared his throat at Bridget and Bernice. The sisters reluctantly pulled away from each other and Bridget shuffled back to the vampire hunters. She bit her lip, mumbling an apology to Edgar but then her eyes travelled to Alan and the two shared a smile between them. Imogen titled her head at the blush on Bridget's cheeks before she looked away and tried to look as poker-faced at the vampire hunters. Bridget dipped her head when Blake nudged her and shook his head.

"Marko paid Imogen a visit," Logan explained to Bernice and Alan.

"So he definitely turned you?" Bernice asked and put her hands on his hips. "What a creep. No sign of Charlotte?"

Imogen shook her head. "No. Good God, how many people from school are vampires now?"

"Too many," Sam said.

"I only turned those I wanted," Logan said. "It's a long story but I recruited Alan and Bernice for my own benefit. What Marko and Charlotte are doing are adding more people to the missing list and turning them into vampires to start a fight. You're just another recruit who unfortunately won't be getting our gift."

"Again with the gift," Blake muttered. "A more appropriate name for it would be curse."

"Aw shucks. I'm sure I'll get over it," Imogen said with a roll of her eyes.

Logan sighed at both comments but no response was made. "We need to split up."

"Bonnie?" Edgar nodded at his friend who inched closer to partner up with him. He jolted an arm out though when he spotted Bridget making a move straight for Alan and Bernice. "A definite no. You can go with Sam."

Bridget halted when his arm blocked her path. She had been smiling again, eyes on Alan and Bernice but frowned when Edgar had stopped her. She stepped back, a disappointed gaze towards the two vampires.

"Blake and Imogen," Edgar said, nodding to the two. Imogen glanced behind to Blake who gave a small salute with a stake in his hand.

"As long as you don't use that on me," she said, moving closer to him.

"Don't give me a reason to use it," he replied with a shrug.

"Aren't you letting any of us in your little pairs?" Logan asked.

"I'd rather not," Edgar said.

The vampire chuckled, amused by the vampire hunter's wariness and turned to his pack. "It's extra muscle. We have a treaty, Eddie. I'm not going to double-cross you."

Edgar gave a small grunt, chin lifting as he did so. "I'm not taking that chance. And it's _Edgar_."

* * *

There had been silence between Bridget and Sam as they wandered down the alleyways. Concentrating on the hunt even though Bridget could already tell Sam they were safe for now. She could hear and see better than he could and there was nothing around them that posed a threat.

"Enjoying some of those side effects?" he asked her and she frowned at him.

"I'm just putting them to use. We're hunting vampires. I might as well let you know if the area is clear. I'm only trying to help."

Sam sighed, biting back his tongue as he realised how much he sounded like Edgar. "Sorry. I've just been getting a little disappointed in people lately. It's hard to stay optimistic and understanding when two of your friends turned into vampires."

"It was forced," she reminded Sam. "What Logan and Ruby did was horrible. They forced Alan and Bernice into turning."

"I know," he admitted, nodding. He shrugged, letting his guard drop and crossbow hang limply at his side. "I guess I'm angry at how easily they've settled into that new life."

"And now I'm on the same path," she added, raising an eyebrow at Sam whose mouth hung open. He looked ready to argue but the way his lips closed and opened rapidly made her think that he had no idea _how_ to protest.

"Sam, be honest. I haven't done my best to fight. I know when my friends are being hostile towards me. I guess you have a right. I got mad whenever Alan didn't look like he was fighting," she said. There was a sad smile on her face and she sighed.

"You keep trying to go back to them. Everyone saw how you went straight to Alan and Bernice," Sam said. "And we notice the way you and Alan look at each other. You still consider him your boyfriend, don't you? I'm not stupid."

"Do you think I'm going to give in?" she asked. Quickly she raised her hands. "I'm not saying that to start an argument. I'm just wondering. Do you think I can fight this?"

He cringed, stopping in his tracks. The look on his face was enough, even though he remained silent and again tried to form words. But his vocals protested, stuttering sounds out instead. This was usually where he would dive into some inspirational speech on how he wouldn't give up on his friends and how his friends wouldn't give up on the battle. He had somehow set himself as the positive one in the group. The one keeping everyone together with hope and being reasonable but after everything that had happened he was losing that trait. He had seen two people he was close to give in and become monsters. They may have allied up but as soon as this was over they planned on leaving. Bernice and Alan were turning their backs on the life they had with Sam, Edgar and Bonnie to be with two vampires who torn their close-knit gang apart. They killed now, happy to indulge in their need for fresh, human blood. Sam couldn't bring himself to tolerate that.

As much as he wanted to argue against his opinion, he didn't have hope for his half vampire friend.

Again, Bridget gave a sad smile. "I don't either."

"Do you even want to try?"

"I… don't know. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't. And I especially don't want to fight when I see them."

"I hate what's happened to us," he said and she nodded.

"I do too, dude."

"Would you miss us if you turned fully?"

"I hope so."

She whipped her head to the left. The wind had picked up not far from where they were and she raised a hand. In the distance she heard feet thud on the ground. Her mind poked and prodded at the presence but it was hard to connect. If it had been Alan it would have been easy. Faint from only being a half vampire. But her instincts were sending her warnings. Alarm bells. The presence was not friendly and she tapped Sam's crossbow.

"Get ready," she said.

Sam raised his weapon, aiming it in the direction Bridget pointed to. The corner of the alley where the footsteps grew louder. In the corner of his eye, he saw Bridget's blue eyes melt into yellow. Bright and glowing as they stared ahead.

"By the glare on your face, not a vampire we're working with?" Sam asked.

"Charlotte," Bridget growled, hearing the familiar giggle of her former best friend. It echoed down the alley. Almost ghost-like. Sam gave a small shudder but kept his stance and weapon aimed. His finger stayed on the trigger, ready to press if needed.

"Welcome back, traitor," Charlotte greeted. She stepped round the corner, her face vamped and she grinned widely to bare sharp fangs. Her tongue flicked out, tracing the points of her fangs. Her amber yellows eyes went to Sam at first, a hunger shining in them before she looked at Bridget who she first addressed and sneered.

"You look shit," she said. "Haven't taken your first kill yet?"

"Prefer not being a monster," Bridget retorted.

"You're just a coward. Always talked the talked but hardly walked the walked. How many times did you strut through school claiming you were a tough chick? You were all mouth."

"I can grow out of that," Bridget said. "You, however, have always been an obsessive freak. It's pathetic how you still stalk Alan."

"Maybe it's best not to get into a verbal bitch fight with the crazy vampire," Sam whispered to Bridget. He sighed, knowing she was falling into the same trap she did when she was in high school. Letting her mouth do all the talking while the brain definitely did not do the thinking. If she could grow out of that, she clearly hadn't done so yet.

"You don't deserve immortality," Charlotte snapped. "You can't even make that first kill. Seriously, what the fuck does Alan see in you?"

Bridget raised an eyebrow. "Sanity?"

Sam shut his eyes. "Brid…"

There was a screech from Charlotte. Her mouth parted in a furious snarl as an unearthly scream rumbled from her throat. She ran. Straight forward. Faster than Sam could pay attention to. He aimed his crossbow but all he saw was the blur of Charlotte racing towards them.

Bridget could still see her movements. They were fast and she had to be able to react just as quickly. Charlotte held her hands out, her hands curling with sharp fingernails and she looked ready to wrap them around Bridget's throat. Bridget grabbed the bottle of Holy water from Sam's pocket.

"Brid, that's –."

"I'll suck it up," she said, unscrewing the bottle. The lid was wet and she clenched her teeth together as the water burnt at her flesh. But she kept unscrewing it and tossed water straight into Charlotte's face as soon as she was close enough.

The screech turned into a cry. A howl of agony as steam rose from Charlotte's skin as it peeled away to leave deep, red burns. She swore, staggering back.

"Crossbow, Sam?" Bridget asked and Sam pressed the trigger without hesitation. The vampire's movements were slow enough for him to aim for and an arrow shot out, piercing her shoulder. Sam shot another one. Right in the middle of her chest.

Charlotte growled, hands finally moving away from her face and she looked at the arrows. Her top lip curled up, a snarl rumbling and she grabbed hold. With each one she gave a quick yank and the arrows slid out, dripping with her blood.

"I can't decide if you're really bad at aiming, Sam, or you just like to piss us off by shooting us wherever," she said, hissing to bare her fangs.

Her eyes travelled down to the arrow, another growl erupting at the sight of her blood on the second arrow she pulled out.

"I aim better," she said and suddenly chucked it straight at Sam. In front of his eyes, a hand whipped out. His gaze went cross-eyed as he focused on the bloody tip of the arrow, inches away from his face. Bridget held it in her grip and Sam stumbled back, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," he said. "Brid!"

His friend turned her head to see Charlotte flying straight at them. She dropped the arrow, ready to hit out at her former best friend but her actions were still too slow for a full vampire. An icy hand wrapped around Bridget's wrist and she found herself spinning, being turned around with her arm bent awkwardly behind her back. Bridget hissed at the sharp twinge when Charlotte tugged her arm further back.

"You're only half," Charlotte whispered. "Still no match."

With a grunt, she flung Bridget to the side. Her feet were off the ground and before she could use her instincts to help herself, Bridget crashed into the wall. A heavy thud in the left side of her body and she collapsed to the ground.

"That's my friend!" Sam yelled. It would have taken time to grab another arrow and aim when the vampire was so close. He dropped it and pulled out a stake from his belt.

"She's a half," Charlotte argued, swiping an arm at him. He ducked and blocked her next lunge.

"You've lost your friend. She's been changing for too long. I'd give up, Sam. Just stop caring and drive a stake right through her heart before she attacks one of you."

She grabbed his hand that held the stake. Her fingers clamped down on his wrist, squeezing hard and turning it slowly. The pain he felt twisted in his face. He cried out, wincing as he began to lose all feeling. The stake slipped from his fingers, down to the ground and he was unarmed.

"Watch and see what she really is," she said and her sharp fingernail dug into the skin on his wrist. It pierced through flesh and he yelped, feeling the nail slice a long slit across. Blood oozed out and she let go of him, laughing as he staggered away with his other hand wrapped out the one that was now bleeding.

"She won't be able to resist –."

Her words were cut off as she suddenly screeched. A high pitched wail as the sharp wooden tip of a stake burst its way from her chest. Bridget leaned towards her friend's ear.

"I'm a match," she whispered.

A groan escaped from the vampire as she fell, turning to try and hold onto Bridget. Her former friend kept hold, allowing her to drop down slowly onto the ground. She simply stared down wide eyed before kneeling next to the vampire.

Blood leaked from the corner of Charlotte's mouth. She tried to speak but blood only gurgled up. She coughed, spluttering out more and Bridget grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry," Bridget said. "After everything, I _am_ sorry."

There were tears in Charlotte's eyes. Whether she was responding to Bridget's apology, showing a gentle piece of herself that died ages ago or scared of the death that was creeping up on her, Bridget wasn't sure. But right now, there was a vulnerability in the fresh tears that escaped from her old friend's eyes and the way she gripped Bridget's hand back.

"You became a monster," Bridget continued. "You haven't been my best friend for ages."

The vampire managed a laugh, coughing up blood again. She lifted her head weakly.

"You're becoming a monster too," she whispered before her head fell back, hitting the ground. Her grip loosened and Bridget let it drop by her side as she stood up and stepped away from the body of her old friend. Where the stake stuck out, sparks flew and a fire burst from the wound. It was seconds before Charlotte's whole body was engulfed in flames. Her corpse quickly becoming charred.

"Brid, are you okay?" Sam asked.

Bridget nodded, turning her head to wipe away tears. She sniffed, rubbing at her eyes. But then she sniffed again. This time her head tilted back as her nostrils twitched.

"Sam, you need to get away," she said and her eyes found the cut on Sam's wrist. He glanced down. Blood stained the hand that covered his wound.

"Okay. Try and control it," he said although he still walked backwards.

"I can't," Bridget whispered. She had taken a couple of steps forward. Her eyes glowed.

"Brid, I don't want to have to hurt you… or kill you."

Bridget sniffed again and her mind shut down. All she wanted was the blood and she allowed that feral monster inside of her to take over. Seconds ago, Sam had been one of her closest friends but now he was unrecognisable. Just a person filled with the one thing she needed most. His scent was sweet. Sweeter when his fear began to kick in. She felt the prickling of her face as bones shifted and snapped, changing her features. Her teeth lengthened. The sharp points of her fangs peeked out from her top lip.

"Please don't!" Sam begged.

His friend, if he could still call her that, roared. Bridget had disappeared and what was left was this snarling, thirsty vampire. She ran straight for him, eyes locking briefly on the vein she wanted to sink her teeth in.

As she ran she heard shouting. Someone yelling but all she could concentrate on was the bleeding human in front of her, staggering backwards with a fearful gaze in his eyes. The shouting got louder, echoing in her ears before something wet hit her in the face. It stung, burning at her skin and she cried out, dashing away to the other side of the alley. Water continued to hit her, touching her skin and sending sharp flares of agony through her. She stretched her hands out, wanting it to stop.

"Leave her alone!"

Bridget shook, slowly snapping back into reality. She frowned, at first not quite sure why she was drenched in Holy water and she looked down at her blistered and red hands. Her fingers reached up to her face, feeling her face shift back into softer, human features and she rang a tongue across her teeth. Normal teeth. The fangs had retracted back up.

"Sam?" she whispered. Realisation had hit her. And so did his scent again. She lifted her head up, seeing Alan right in front of her. One arm stretched behind him as her shield and towards her while the other was stretched towards Edgar. He was in full vampire mode. Face demonic and twisted with fangs bared. His brother only glared back in disgust as his upper lip curled up. Bridget peered past to see Sam. Bonnie and Blake were by his side. Blake was already wrapping fabric around his wrist. Ruby, Bernice and Logan stood nearby, slowly walking towards Alan and Bridget. They joined, not even trying to hide the amusement in their face. Only Bernice was solemn as she inched closer to her sister. Imogen was the only one who stood by herself. Her eyes were on Bridget, wide in horror and she wondered how much the newly turned half vampire had just seen. How much of the snarling, wild Bridget she had witnessed.

"Oh my God," she whispered and began to shake. She suddenly straightened, eyes finding Sam again. "I'm so sorry!"

"You stay the hell back!" Edgar shouted and raised his bottle of Holy water. "I've still got plenty in here."

"Hurt her and I'll kill you," Alan snarled.

"That's my friend she's just tried to attack. Sam used to be your friend!"

Bridget continued to shake and babble. "Sam, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't come any closer," Sam said, raising a hand when Bridget took a step forward. All three of them shuffled backwards. Blake, Sam and Bonnie. They eyed her carefully, fearful and wary.

"I didn't mean to," she said.

"Yes, you did," Sam whispered. "You wanted to kill me then. You just let yourself turn like that."

"No, I wasn't thinking! I just shut down. Sam, I can't help this!"

"Calm down," Alan said, reaching to touch her arm.

"I think you need to get the hell away," Edgar said, quietly. He glared at the vampires. "All of you."

Bridget looked at him. "Edgar –."

"You're not stepping a foot inside the house," he said and his tone was brusque. "You attacked someone who is supposed to be your friend. We can't trust you. So you need to find your own shelter. Stay away from us."

"Surprise, surprise. Edgar is turning his back on another half vampire," Alan muttered, sneering at his brother.

"Whatever memories you have are twisted!" Edgar argued. "I tried to help you but you shut me out! You let yourself change."

"We could all see what you thought of me, Edgar," Alan snapped. "I was a monster from day one. You're doing the same thing to Bridget all over again."

"Alan, he's right," Bridget said.

"No, he doesn't get it. He makes it look like we _want_ this. But we don't. None of us asked to be turned into vampires but he always makes it sound like we purposely sought it out."

"I think we all need to call it a night," Logan said and nodded to Charlotte's burnt corpse. "One vampire is down. Let's leave it at that."

"Come with us," Bernice said, wrapping an arm around Bridget. Her stomach growled and she winced.

"I need my bag."

"You're not helping yourself with those blood bags," Blake said.

"Blood bags?" Edgar's nostrils flared. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"I'm hungry," Bridget snapped. "I'm trying to get what I need without killing."

"It's disgusting," Edgar said. "How can we help you when you're pulling this kind of crap?"

"She's making sure she doesn't kill," Ruby said. "Isn't that what you want?"

"I don't want her drinking any of it! From the vein or not from the vein!"

"Can we all calm down?" Bonnie asked. "We need to get Sam home."

"Fine," Edgar said. He pointed a finger straight at Bridget. "Find your own shelter."

"You can stay with us," Logan told her.

"Not with them!"

"Why not?" Bridget snapped. "You've pretty much said it yourself. I'm already a vampire so I might as well stick with them now."

"They'll tempt you into turning."

"Either you care or you don't care, Edgar," she said and gave a tiny shrug. "There's no point fighting when your friends lose hope in you. And that's what you've done. It's okay. This is hard to understand when you're not experiencing it. But I'm fed up on walking on eggshells, worrying if I'm acting human enough for you guys."

She leaned her head against her sister as she turned and followed the other vampires away from the alleyway. She sighed, head dipping and all she wanted to do was curl up and give in to everything.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. If you would like to leave a review, please feel free to! Chapter 15 will be up next Saturday.**


	16. Chapter 15

**Thank you to Silverheels12 and GlassMasquerade for reviewing. :)**

* * *

Sam had been quiet on the way back to his house. Imogen had offered to drive them all back in her car, leaving Sam's in town. Michael had agreed to come down and collect it later for his younger brother.

Blake sat next to Imogen with a stake in his hand. She wasn't quite sure how she could be untrustworthy to drive. What did he expect her to do? Crash the car? Drive them all off a cliff? Drive to them a secluded place in the Redwoods and brutally murder each one of them?

She glanced in the mirror, eyes straight at Sam who sat in the middle between Bonnie and Edgar. Bonnie had an arm around Sam's shoulders, a comforting hand resting on his own. Edgar kept to himself but now and again he nudged his friend to see if he could get a reaction. Sam's injury was a scrape. All it really needed was a clean and a plaster. But he still looked white as a sheet and kept his mouth tightly closed.

"I didn't recognise Bridget at all," he finally muttered as Imogen pulled up to Sam's house.

"I'm sure she feels bad about it," Bonnie said. "I don't think she was able to help it."

"But she's hungry and we can't risk letting her stay here with all of Sam's family and Blake around," Edgar pointed out.

"Still, we've ended up pushing her into the hands of _them,_ " Bonnie said, wrinkling her nose.

"She didn't have to go with them. But she did. She might not have made the choice to attack Sam but she made the choice to go with those bloodsuckers," Edgar said.

"What are you going to do now?" Imogen asked. The car shuddered to silence and the five of them stayed sitting in their seats. They could hear Nanook barking, sensing the presence of his favourite owner returning.

"Well, there are two paths," Blake explained. "Either she's completing her first kill as we speak. So our job will be to turn her into a pile of dust."

"Blake, that's still our friend," Bonnie said, scowling his way.

"Or, you give me permission to go in and act. I'm not afraid to kill Alan and Bernice. Send me in and I'll do the job. I'll even make it look like it was Marko's doing so you guys don't face the consequences." He shrugged casually. "You brought me here to help. Let me help."

"Poor Alan and Bernice," Imogen muttered. She had seen Alan in his new state. Face twisted into monstrous features. High cheekbones and a forehead drooping down over glowing yellow eyes. His lips had been curled back, an almost an Alan Frog trademark sneer if it weren't for the long fangs that replaced his canine teeth and incisors. To her it hadn't been long since he was the timid, human teenager. Seeing him now sent a chill down her spine. It was an icy realisation how far from human the boy was now. What she could become if she wasn't careful.

She hadn't seen anything change in Bernice. Bridget's older sister was still the graceful blonde whose entire wardrobe contained skirts and dresses. Never jeans. She still looked soft with her bouncy waves and protective arm over her sister's shoulders as they walked away. Imogen had to wonder what Bernice was like as a vampire. While Alan had a temper to him, Bernice was known for being one of the nicest girls in the school. Popular because she didn't have a nasty bone in her body.

"If you're going to keep focusing on who they used to be, you're screwed. They're not the people you used to know. If you were a human wandering down an alley late at night, they'd be chewing into your throat for blood," Blake said to her.

"Just because I remember what they used to be like doesn't mean I'm weak," she snapped. "You're killing two people I knew. I know I wasn't friends with them and, I hate to admit, I wasn't the nicest person to Alan but I still have a heart. Bernice and Alan were good people. And from the sounds of it, they've been trying to kill as many vampires as possible while everyone else at school have been oblivious to it all. They've been heroes and nobody has even known about it."

She gave Blake one last disapproving scowl before she unfastened her seatbelt and slid out of the car with the others following. Despite her mini speech, Blake simply shrugged and got out. She wanted to rant at him again, corner him until he apologised for his heartless opinions but Bonnie tapped her arm as she walked past.

"Don't let him get to you," Bonnie whispered.

"He's awful," she whispered back.

"I think he's seen too much," she said and glanced at Edgar. "Vampire hunting changes you. For some, it seems to make you just as cold as a vampire."

"Is Edgar going to be alright?"

"I hope so."

"They were very close as brothers, weren't they?"

"Edgar raised Alan. They've had a shitty life. No-one should have to grow up knowing your parents aren't ever going to be people you can depend on."

Imogen ducked her head. "I've made fun of them before. Alan had this big crush on me and I responded by being a bitch."

Bonnie sighed. "Well, there's no point whining about it now. You were a bitch and you can't take any of that back. Just be a nicer person to people in the future."

"Hey, am I in trouble with Alan? Do you think since he has a crush on me –?"

Bonnie snorted at Imogen and waved a hand. "I really wouldn't worry about Alan's feelings towards you. He's moved on. Trust me."

"Oh." She gave a tiny shrug and waved a hand. "That's good. He was a bit strange with that crush."

Sam had collapsed on the sofa, still staring into space most of the time. Blake waved a hand in the young boy's face who slowly stared up at him with his mouth hanging open and wide eyes. His usual expression.

"Hey, kid. You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's just a very unnerving experience when a friend tries to eat you," he muttered.

"Didn't Michael try to attack you when he was half?" Edgar asked.

"I never saw him. I was washing my hair," Sam said. Nanook trotted up to Sam, nudging his head against Sam's hand who began to stroke his fur slowly. "Nanook fended him off before I could see what had happened. This time, I actually saw it…" He stopped and shuddered, ceasing patting Nanook who gave a whine in protest.

"It's strange when the vampire attacking is somebody you know," Sam finished.

Edgar gave a nod, eyes going distant. "Yeah. I get that. Blake?"

The older hunter looked his way, a grim smile already forming on his face. He knew what Edgar was going to ask but he waited for the teenager to vocally make that request.

"I need you to put a stop to my brother and Bernice. They think they're helping Bridget but their perspectives are screwed up now. We've lost too many of us to the vampires. I don't want Bridget to be another lost hunter. The only help she needs is by being freed of that vampire poison." He ducked his head, taking in a deep breath and before he could suddenly change his mind and take back his request. "Can you help me?" he asked, almost whispering his words.

"No sweat," Blake said. "Tomorrow night, I'll start the hunt. For now…" He gestured to the door.

"If I don't get to stake at least one vampire on a night's patrol I get grumpy. Mind if continue to scope your vampire infested home town?"

"Just be careful," Edgar said and Blake cheerily said his goodbyes before exiting the house.

"I'm going to head home," Imogen said. "Call me if you go out on a hunt tomorrow. I'll help out."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Imogen nodded. "I have a five year plan and nowhere have I fitted in vampires or being a vampire. I refuse to be some disgusting vampire's pawn just because he's having a temper tantrum. I am not going to be in a very good mood if my Ivy League education and big house goes to pot. I'll be another pair of hands so we can stop that vampire."

She held her head high, flicking her red ponytail behind her shoulders and flashed them her best Prom Queen smile. "I'll see everyone tomorrow."

"Don't eat anyone," Edgar warned and she responded with a sigh as she walked out of the door. When she left, he sank down in an armchair. His posture slumped and he dipped his head again, running a hand through his sandy hair. As he did, he slipped off his red bandana and let it drop to the floor.

"Ed, are you ready for this?" Bonnie asked.

"No," he admitted. "But I'll never be ready. I don't want to lose Alan."

He glanced up with watery eyes. "But that's not my brother anymore. I've seen him as a vampire too many times. We made a pact when we discovered vampires. If either one of us ever turned, the other would step up and do their vampire hunting duty. Especially if being a vampire was something one of us enjoyed. That's a life we swore we were against."

Bonnie tried to flash a sympathetic smile. But she felt numb. Her body cold and exhausted. She went towards Edgar, kneeling down in front of him and her hands clasped his. Her lips remained grim, almost tugging down in a frown.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Why are you apologising? It's my fault. He was right, you know, in that alley. He was a monster and I treat him like one."

"No, you were wary. You wanted to keep a good eye on him because half vampires are unpredictable. You've seen how easily they snap. I did it."

"I wasn't just wary. I did make him feel like he sought it out. I accused him of liking the change."

"You needed to be a vampire hunter."

"No, I needed to be a brother. And I wasn't. That's something I'm going to regret for the rest of my life."

Bonnie sighed. Edgar had pretty much made up his mind that he had failed as a brother and nothing she could say probably wouldn't have changed his mind. It was a trait both he and Alan always had. The both of them were stubborn to the bone. All she could do was be a comforting friend so she reached to pull him into a hug. He tensed, a brief uncertainty at being hugged but slowly relaxed and lifted an arm to pat her back.

"Thanks," he whispered.

* * *

Since the night she was turned it was the first time coming back to the abandoned home Logan and the others had settled into. Together, they all walked down the streets, passing homeless people collapsed on the streets, tucked up in little corners under newspapers. A bunch of teenage boys stood huddle up together, talking loudly with plenty of swear words fitted in. Their voices echoed around the almost deserted street of the DeCosta neighbourhood.

She stayed quiet, keeping her head down so she didn't attract any attention from the teenagers. If she didn't look, they wouldn't take it as an incentive to come over. Hopefully. And she could avoid another shut down and stay a half vampire for another night.

"Have you guys had any trouble here?" she asked.

"A few. Few locals wanting to show that they own the streets and scare us." Logan glanced back and flashed a wide smile, one with sharp fangs showing. "We've scared them in return."

"They know that these new teens aren't ones to mess with. We've had fights. Not bad enough for them to realise we're vampires but we've sent a few so-called tough boys home crying," Ruby said. "If you can stay low, stay low. But sometimes we end up in an arsehole town or neighbourhood where the residents like to pick on the fresh meat. So we need to scare them off permanently to keep our cover."

They went around the back of the house, to the door that led straight into the kitchen. It gave a creak as Logan pushed it open and they all stepped inside. Bridget was last and she shut the door behind everyone. It resisted at first, halting on its hinges and she had to give it a sudden shove for it to close properly. For extra safety she saw a latch and locked them all in. Of course, if anyone intruded it would most likely be them in danger. But again, it was all to do with avoiding another vamp out.

Candles in the living room were lit to give some light. It cast an orange glow everywhere. In the living room, Doctor Mathias - Adam - was present. Bridget had just entered the room, following a horrible familiar rich and slightly metallic scent, when he dropped the dead victim to the floor. There was some relief that the human was no longer alive to tempt her but her eyes still widened and her horrified stare travelled up from the body to Doctor Mathias himself.

He dressed casually. A sweater and jeans. No longer in his white doctor's coat. And neither was he running around, stressed to the point of having a panic attack. He stood calmly, wiping the blood of his chin with the back of his hand and stretched his hands out as if to welcome Bridget.

"Wonderful that you can join us. Oh, my dear girl, you do not look well!"

Bridget's mouth hung open. "You were my dad's colleague. All that time you were right under our noses!"

"My brother's idea. A good one… for a change. I'd never been partial to blending in before but I actually enjoyed the work. Of course it came in handy when you and your little gang of hunters began to make a name for yourself." He gestured to the corpse Bridget was staring at. "I'm afraid the blood will not be fresh but there are plenty of people around to pick off from the streets to get what you need. No-one the police would care to add to the missing list. I would advise you to feed sometime soon."

"I'm fine," Bridget hissed and turned on her heel. She pushed past Logan to dash up the stairs, turning to the first open door she saw.

Adam sighed, shaking her head and looked straight at Alan. "She'll die if she doesn't get what she needs."

"I know that," Alan snapped. "It wasn't her choice."

"No. You made that decision for her."

Alan scowled at Adam. Like he needed his actions rubbed in his face. He was ready to argue and fight over his decision to turn Bridget. She was on the brink of death and there was still some human connection inside that made him do the most natural thing human Alan would have done. Save someone.

"No-one's saying it's a bad thing. You've saved someone you care about," Ruby said and shrugged, eyes lowering to the floor. "I would have done the same thing."

"It's just… you might have to give up on her," Logan said. "You helped her but maybe she didn't want to be helped."

"Or you might have to make another decision for her," Adam suggested.

One brief flashback to being forced to drink blood had Alan shaking his head sharply. "I won't do that to her. It's called respect."

"Son, she'll starve then," Adam said quietly. There was no malice to his voice. He was solemn. Grim in his expression and there was almost a sympathetic frown forming on his face.

Alan turned away, choosing to ignore everyone and their advice so he could follow Bridget. There was a stale scent. Not at all fresh. He went up the stairs, floorboards creaking and whining one at a time until he reached the landing and turned to the first door on his left. He saw drops of blood on the dusty floorboards before his eyes fixed on Bridget.

She gulped down the blood from the bag, hardly taking a breath. Her chin was covered in red, blood all down her vest top. She growled when she finished, fingers squeezing the bag as if more would trickle out. He watched her shoulders slump in defeat, letting the bag drop to the floor. She had always been a bony girl. Sharp elbows and a slender, straight frame. Not the most developed girl. From avoiding fresh blood and not eating any human food he could see the bones of her spine. The point of her shoulder bones. Her jeans were straight leg and should have hugged her figure but they were baggy on her now, scrunched at the top by how tightly she had to fasten her belt. While she was stronger than a human at the moment, she looked like a thin ruler. Easy to snap in half. When she glanced back at him, her eyes were bruised and bloodshot, deep lines creasing underneath. Not a single drop from that bag had made any improvement to her ill and starved look. Blood stained her lips and she looked away, licking the remaining drops off.

"Sorry, I was hungry," she mumbled. "I still am."

With a shrug, she dumped her belongings and headed over to a corner of the room. Sleeping bags had been placed down on top of a worn out mattress. The room was pitch black with boarded up windows but dark sheets had been nailed to the wall and floor in a makeshift tent. A few comic books were spread on the mattress, one of them a copy of Amazing Fantasy fifteen and she smiled as she picked it up, flopping down into Alan's shelter.

"You brought it with you?" she asked, holding it up to him.

He sat next to her, a small smile in response as he looked at the cover. "No way would I part with it. I mean, it's Amazing Fantasy issue fifteen. Serious stuff."

Bridget snorted and tapped her foot against his. "You nerd."

He tapped her foot back. "Also because you bought it for me. Extra special."

" _You're_ special," she said and flashed him a shy smile. "Excuse the cheesiness."

She nudged the comics aside and shuffled further up to lie down on top of the sleeping bags.

"How did this happen to us?" she asked as he lay down beside her. They were both on their backs, staring up at the fabric of the tent until Bridget rolled on her side to face him. She scooted her body forward, poking at his arm to move and when he lifted it up she settled underneath, head now resting on his chest with an arm draped across his stomach.

"We fucked with vampires," he said.

"Aren't we fucking clever," she said, snorting once. Her fingers had begun tracing down his cheek.

"I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't know what else to do."

She smiled. "You did what Alan would have done, human or vampire. You saved someone." When she titled her head away to look at him, she kept her smile and moved her fingers to his hair.

"Even if it means you're turning into something you don't want to be? And the people who are supposed to be your friends have turned against you?"

Bridget gave a sigh, rolling onto her back again. "They haven't turned against me."

"They kicked you out."

"They did right. I lost control and I'm a threat," she said. "They're only trying to make sure I don't kill them. I could do that now." A tear, warmer than her body temperature, trickled out from the corner of her eye. It rolled down her cheek, leaving a damp trail for more to follow.

"Still, they don't show sympathy." His lips curled up as he stared at the fabric above them, a yellow glow burning in his eyes. "You're changing into this _thing_ , feeling things you can't help and they make it out like it's all your fault. It hurts."

"But _you_ stuck by me," he added and glanced at her. The yellow fire in his eyes had settled, returning to brown. "I needed that. And I'll do the same for you."

She raised an eyebrow. "By trying to get me to feed?"

He shrugged. "It's only survival. And you stop caring. It's like you switch off."

It was strangely fascinating. Repulsing to hear yet the questions continued to pop up in Bridget's head. She blamed it on the vampire desperate to awaken within her. That the blood poisoning her mind was the reason she kept asking questions about being a vampire. It had to be because she had never cared to know what it was like when she was human. She had never spoken to Bonnie about being a half vampire because she had no interest. She was a vampire hunter and her only job was to kill the undead. Anything she learnt about them was purely for hunting reasons. Information that would help her stay alive.

Alan fascinated her. The former vampire hunter recently turned full vampire and straight away he seemed settled in his new life. Completely succumbed to the monster. Here she was, trying to fight between her morals and her urges, so naturally she felt another monster emerging. A little green eyed one who longed to have the ease of mind Alan had towards vampirism. To be able to turn around and go 'fuck it'. It should have been frightening but her curiosity was the stronger emotion.

"Hey," he said and tapped her foot with his. "Maybe you just need a taste for it. Tomorrow night, we'll go out. You, me and Bernice. Just the three of us."

At her lip biting and complete silence on an answer he tapped her foot with his again and rolled onto his side to face her. He flashed a grin. "Come on, me and you. We'd be great together. We were always an awesome team."

"Yeah, we were," she said, smiling as she took hold of his hand, intertwining her fingers with his and she tugged him to move closer. He smiled, face close to hers before he closed the gap and she felt lips brushing gently against hers. It was a brief kiss as Alan pulled away slowly and grasped at her hand.

"I am sorry though. I know this has been hard," he said.

"Quit apologising. You know I don't hate you for this, right? I don't blame you for any of it." Her free hand reached up, fingers just brushing the skin on his cheek lightly. "Whatever happens to me, try and remember you were only helping."

"Don't say 'whatever happens'. You're going to be fine."

"I'd like to hope so but I doubt it," she said, letting a tear roll down the side of her cheek. She sniffed, using her palm to rub at her eyes. She only stopped when Alan leaned down again and gently touched her lips with his own. Yet this time he stayed hovering, the tiniest of gaps between their lips when he stopped. Her eyes looked directly up to meet his brown ones.

"You will. I'll make sure you're alright," he vowed.

There was so much left of her old Alan, it was hard not to refuse any more kisses. And, she realised, she didn't want to refuse any more from him. She wanted to be like this again with him. A girlfriend. Happy with their relationship and not being scared to become serious. Not afraid that it was encouraging a darker side of herself to rise up.

It didn't help at all that the person who could be responsible for getting her to fully convert to that dark side used to be the most heroic and amazing human she had ever met. And that he had become someone she struggled to see missing from her life completely.

"Can I stay in here with you tonight?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Just to sleep or…?" He smirked, a quick glance down her body before reaching her eyes again. She couldn't help her own smile and responded by sitting up and tugging his jacket off.

"You know what? Fuck trying to keep my distance," she said and leaned forward to catch his lips.

She wasn't going to regret it at all. With his hands cupping her cheeks and guiding her back onto the sleeping bags, she stopped herself from feeling hesitant. She was fed up of pushing away someone who actually made her feel happy. Distracted. The harder she tried to stay away and stop feeling, the more trouble she seemed to get herself into with her friends. Whether it was emotions or that dark side, she was sick of feeling guilty all the time. Why should she? It made it feel like she shouldn't care or feel anything towards Alan, which she wanted to. Wasn't it a good thing she could hang on to her feelings?

Wasn't it human?

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to review. :) I'm away next weekend so the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.**


	17. Chapter 16

Blake wandered through the streets of this vampire infested new town, more focused on spotting any bloodsuckers than sightseeing. The town was a mess anyway. Nothing to see except the usual idiots lying on the beach, drowning in alcohol and drugs. The amusement park was closed for the season and there was no entertainment to draw in more crowds. He wandered through the shops and cafes on the Boardwalk, stopping at the comic store that Edgar, Sam and Bonnie worked in. At the front of the store, just in the entrance, there was the horror shelf. His eyes went straight for the small selection of his own comics staring right back at him. Comics that apparently were poorly written. Fair enough. He was ready to admit himself that he had never been much of a writer. Drawing was something he was better at. And as a foolish nineteen year old, he only published them for one reason.

To expose vampires.

He scoffed, flicking through the pages of Destroy All Vampires until he got to the back cover where his younger self looked back at him.

He looked youthful and bright. He had known vampires existed but he had not dealt with them enough to know any better. All he really wanted was to bring vampires to everyone's attention so they could protect their race against the leeches. That had been the plan. Nothing else had entered his mind.

Not how vampires would even react.

Not had much danger he had put…

He took in a sharp breath through his nose. Shit. His eyes prickled and he immediately dropped the comic back on the shelf. He turned on his heel to wander away through the Boardwalk and towards Downtown.

That was the difference between twenty six year old Blake and that idiot nineteen year old Blake. Both of them wanted to protect people but his younger self had a naïve way of going about it.

His footsteps were quiet as he stalked through Downtown. He passed the clubs, keeping his head down as he passed the lines of college students and punks in their twenties waiting to head in. Doors were open, allowing the loud music to blast out. So far, no-one he saw was a bloodsucker. Although he was actually looking out for one vampire in particular.

Around the corner of a club, leading to the grimy back alleys, he stopped to lean against a wall. Two stakes were strapped to his belt, easily accessible if a vampire suddenly darted out to attack. He always kept a small wallet in his pocket, not filled with money but a photograph. The photograph that drove him to find out everything he could about vampires and, if he travelled enough, find that particular vampire.

The memory was always clear in his head. Hiding in the bushes when he heard his parents calling out to him. Crouched in the sharp twigs and leaves because he was scared he was going to be in a lot of trouble for running off into the park. He had seen his parents searching, his mother's hands waving up and down frantically as she hysterically screeched at his father. Not in anger at him. Just fear. Everywhere was dangerous at night.

Those two guys he saw had been a different type of dangerous. Inhuman. Definitely not right. No-one tore into people's throats like that.

Blake shuddered. He always had nightmares of that scene. Watching the two blonde vampires drain his parents dry of their blood. He remembered running as soon as that happened. Luckily unnoticed as the vampires concentrated on satisfying their thirst and Blake had ran to the first policemen he saw. Unfortunately by the time they followed the hysterical eight year old Blake, his parents' bodies were nowhere to be seen. Just pools of blood.

And no-one believed the crying child that vampires had done it.

He had never seen the vampires ever again. But he had one lead at least.

 _Marko._

"A new hunter. This is gonna be fun."

Blake froze at the voice. Young but a mask behind how old the vampire really should be. He straightened, one hand going straight to a stake and slipping it out, ready to use at the mysterious vampire.

His eyes darted around the alley. Above him. Nowhere to be seen and he kept his back to the wall, eyes focused on every direction around him.

"Come on, you're a vampire. You don't need to hide," Blake said with a slight sneer. "Show your face."

There was a chill of a breeze past him and on the opposite side of the alley, leaning against the wall, stood the vampire. Blake's body turned to ice.

He couldn't help cast his eyes down to his photograph. Curly blonde hair, a hooked nose, blue sleepy eyes… exactly like the photograph except a few years older. He didn't have the jacket but he still had the white t-shirt and jean look. Only now it was a white wife beater and there was a hardness to his choir boy look. His eyes were narrowed, observing Blake wordlessly before he snickered.

"Well, you're not some brat for a change." He tapped the side of his head. "I think I even see a few strands of grey hair."

Blake scowled. "Genes," he said through his teeth. "I inherited a lot from my father's side."

Marko took a step forward, arms folding across his chest as he continued to smirk. But then it fell. His eyes narrowed again, this time with a head tilt as if he was really seeing the hunter now.

He was still young despite flashes of grey between the blonde strands. Not a teenager but in his twenties. Maybe mid or late twenties. His hair was the same colour as his. Golden but tousled. Not as curly as his own hair but still a wavy mess. He was tall. Taller than Marko by a good few inches. But for every difference he spotted, he spotted something familiar in turn. Dark eyes contrasted with his own blue eyes but they looked almost droopy, showing a lot of eye lid. Almost protruding all together. Blake's mouth was small, turned down in a grim, moody frown. The face was long but the chin was squarer than Marko's own narrow, rounded one.

"You look like someone," Marko said.

Blake stayed quiet. His mouth twitched, desperately trying to hold back the screaming and yelling he wanted to do. He felt his fingers curling around the stake, tightening his hold. The vampire didn't remember. That was like being stabbed in the heart. That his parents were simply another meal, not worthy of being remembered.

"Have a real good think, leech," Blake said as he raised his stake.

"So I should know who you are?" Marko asked and a grin formed on his face. "Did I kill someone you knew?"

"You think that's funny?" Blake asked before he let out a cry and ran at the vampire. It was a silly move. One that naïve Blake would have made but the anger exploded inside before he could collect himself. An eruption where he simply acted with no thought to it. The photograph dropped from his hands as he lunged himself forward, swinging the stake straight for Marko's heart.

He should have known he was about to hit air as Marko disappeared from his sight completely. He felt hands push him on his back, making him trip over his feet and stumble to the ground. He groaned, tumbling onto his front and turned to scramble into a sitting position as fast as he could. Marko now had the photograph in his hand, staring at the figures in it. His eyes went straight his old human self immediately. A few years younger than the age he turned into a vampire. Fifteen… sixteen… it was certainly before he ran away at sixteen. He sat next to another blonde boy, older but almost identical with the same facial features. On the sofa with them, next to the older boy, was a dark eyed, blonde woman. Two shades darker than Marko and the other young man. She sat straight with her arm curled around her large stomach, smiling brightly at the camera. Their faces were familiar and he began to poke at his mind for a reason. Find some familiarity from the hazy memories floating about in the back of his mind.

"Why do you have a photo of me?" he asked the hunter, glimpsing down at Blake who had shuffled back to the wall. His eyes darted from the two humans in the photograph to Blake. Back and forth as he searched for an answer himself first.

 _I knew these people as a human… and the other guy looks like me…_

"You look a lot like the guy in this photograph," Marko said.

Blake sneered. "Nonno always said I resembled my dad a lot."

"Nonno…"

Blake stood up, hand moving to the pocket of his jacket where he kept a flask of Holy water.

"I was never great at Italian… that's how you say grandfather, right? I probably should know a lot of it, being from an Italian family but I guess Nonno was always reluctant to push me into learning stuff. He was always worried I'd run off to avoid being forced into things I didn't want to learn. I wonder why…"

"You gotta be kidding me," Marko muttered but the memories were coming back now. Of a particular night he came across these two humans after he had changed into a vampire. He had found himself in South Philadelphia with his old pack, a new city that they hoped to settle in for a while but certain places had been too familiar to Marko. Especially when they found themselves in the Italian Market.

Blake's eyes were watery, teeth bared in a snarl at the vampire as he raised his weapon again.

"July 21st 1970. I was eight years old and you and some other blonde vampire killed my parents in FDR Park. I watched you two kill them." His voice shook, cracking at the end.

Marko stared at the hunter silently. Eyes wide and mouth agape. But then the corners of his lips curled up. He grinned, teeth bared before his head threw back and he laughed.

"No way," he said between chuckles. "You're…?" He held up the photograph. "That was my older brother and his girlfriend."

Blake felt himself shaking. "Leo Ricelli and Sandra Blake. _They were my parents and you killed them._ "

"I couldn't let your folks walk away after seeing me."

"You disgusting bastard."

"Is that any way to talk to your uncle… Di… Di…?"

Blake sneered again, feeling his anger reach boiling point. "Dino. Dino Blake Ricelli. Don't you even remember my name?"

"What do you want me to do? I'm a vampire. You're part of a life I don't even care to remember anymore." His eyes began to glow yellow, facial features melting away to reveal the demon that had been hidden away. Blake watched his uncle's angelic features shift into sharp cheekbones and protruding forehead, a hood over shadowed glowing eyes. It was the face he wanted – _needed –_ to see. Another demonic face of another vampire he had to slay and it brought him right back into reality. Enough being the tormented eight year old who lost his parents. Upset and distraught as he confronted one of his parents' murderers. That face was enough to bring the hunter back into control and remind him of his ultimate duty, even if this duty was to make up for one part of his life that had been crushed and broken in seconds.

"You really miss your folks that much? I'll reunite you."

Blake still felt his body tremble but he forced his focus on the moves Marko made. He moved his body quickly to block fists and feet lashing out at him. He panted, breathing fast as he moved and tried to keep up with Marko. The short vampire darted out, never staying in one place for too long. He kept dashing around Blake, keeping the hunter alert and turning.

 _You won't win this one,_ he warned himself, lifting his forearm up to block a punch. But something swiped his foot, knocking his balance and he stumbled. Back to tumbling to the floor and a foot collided with his ribs as soon as he landed. He gasped, rolling onto his side and moved his hand up to cradle the spot. Fingers grabbed his messy hair and, with a sharp tug, his head was pulled back, baring his throat. His lips were parted, a yelp escaping as his hair was tugged.

"I'm disappointed, man," Marko said with a cruel chuckle to follow. "My own nephew ended up as a vampire hunter. Puts me to shame."

"Disapprove?" Blake asked, managing to twist his lips into a sneer. "Blame yourself, leech. You put me on this path."

"You shouldn't have been a silly boy and run away from Mommy and Daddy that night."

" _Hey!"_

Marko snarled, head lifting to the end of the alley where two policemen stood. One had been pointed in their direction before dashing forward straight away. There was another snarl in Blake's ear, breath against his skin.

"Rain check on killing you… _nipote."_

Marko's grip loosened and he pushed Blake forward, flat onto his face before footsteps raced down towards the corner of the alley. It wasn't a dead end but he had to disappear completely and Marko lifted himself immediately onto the ground, landing onto the roof of a nearby building and walked away from the edge to conceal himself. He heard the footsteps of the policemen slowing down, snapping at Blake and he shot into the air again, straight to hide in the clouds with another snicker.

In the alley, Blake felt hands on him again. This time to be dragged up by the two policemen and he huffed as they pulled him onto his two feet.

"Not the town for a drunken brawl, young man."

Blake swore aloud, jerking once to try and get the policemen off but their grip tightened.

"Where's your proof? I'm sober and I was clearly the one _being_ attacked," he argued.

"Whatever, kid. This is Downtown. It's always a drunken brawl in these parts."

"I haven't been fucking drinking!"

"Weapons," the other policeman said. He was fatter than the one who had been accusing Blake. Tall too. And now he had one of Blake's stakes in his hand, an eyebrow raising up before he waved it in Blake's face. "What the hell is this?"

"I'm building a fence," Blake snapped but his sarcasm only got him dragged down the alley with two policemen arresting him for being drunk and disorderly.

* * *

In the morning, after nagging for a phone call, he found Lucy, Sam and Edgar waiting for him in the reception. He had a policeman guiding him out, a frown on his face while Blake flashed a sarcastic smile and wiggled his fingers mockingly.

"Thank you for giving me a taste of the infamous Santa Carla Police. Carry on _not_ doing your job properly."

"Blake, don't. You're lucky they had absolutely no reason to arrest you properly," Lucy said with a stern frown and Blake dipped his head slightly. Then she directed her gaze towards the police. "Next time you decide to arrest someone, make sure they're actually committing a crime instead of having a night out in fancy dress and actually getting attacked. You're lucky we're not suing. My brother has never lost a court case. But if there _is_ a next time, start emptying your desks."

With a hand on Blake's shoulders, she led the boys out of the police station. After walking away with a frown on his face, Sam glanced up at his mother.

"Mom, Uncle Will is a chef."

"They don't know that," she said and took out her car keys. Sam settled in the back while Edgar and Blake shuffled up in the back. The older vampire hunter groaned, arching his back and pressed his hand against his ribs.

"Do you need the hospital?" Lucy asked.

"Nothing's broken. Just sore," Blake said. "Nothing that will hold me back."

"What happened?" Edgar asked.

"I came across Marko," Blake replied and fell silent.

Edgar tilted his head, watching the hunter's lips press together. Shutting out more information. There was something off about the way he suddenly fell silent and answered briefly. Blake was a talker. Mouthy and Edgar expected him now to boast about the fight, making sarcastic remarks to hide his embarrassment of being beaten up by a vampire. Blake's head fell back on the headrest in the car and he shifted his gaze to the window, watching the blur of Santa Carla go by as they drove back to the mountains and Sam's home.

Edgar left the questioning. For now. As soon as they were back inside Sam's home and gathered in his bedroom, Edgar decided to start the inquiry up again.

"You seem pretty down," he commented as Blake sank onto Sam's bed. He sat on the edge, slightly bobbing up and down from collapsing straight onto it. The hunter didn't lift his head up and Edgar was sure Blake's hands were beginning to shake.

"Got my ass handed to me by a leech. No vampire hunter likes to fail."

"And no vampire hunter looks like their world has collapsed unless there's more to the vampire."

The more he observed Blake, the clearer the signs. The straight line of his mouth, clamped shut to keep the pain in. The shaking hands, trembling with the horrific realisation. Skin that looked it was stretched tightly across his face, pained and pale from seeing a ghost of the past that was still haunting in the present.

"Who's Marko?" he asked.

"Some vampire you idiots failed to kill and is now back for revenge," Blake explained.

"You know what I mean by that question."

Sam, witnessing the conversation, continued to frown until Edgar looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Then when Edgar went over to the stack of comics on Sam's bedside table and picked up Destroy All Vampires. He marched over to Blake, standing right in front of him and waiting quietly before Blake finally lifted his head and stared right at the cover of his own comic. He swallowed thickly.

"Bridget came to find you because your comics were the closest thing to the vampires we had experienced," Edgar said. "They were too similar which means you obviously knew about them. And anyone who is a vampire hunter has only one reason for wanting to stake every bloodsucker they came across. Vampires have messed up their lives somehow. So who is Marko and what happened to you?"

Blake scoffed. "Long story. Twice in my life I've witnessed what vampires can do. But I've known about them since I was a kid."

Edgar nodded, walking over to Sam's desk chair and sat down. He nodded.

"Keep going."

Blake sighed. "I really don't like talking about it."

Edgar's eyes lowered. "Sometimes you have to face it. I'm not asking because I'm offering to be a shoulder to cry on. I don't do that shit. I just need to know if Marko is going to be a problem and get in the way of hunting. You're helping me out by dealing with a problem I can't face myself and I'll offer to deal with yours."

Blake nodded. "Thanks, kid." He sighed, a deep, long breath in before his shoulders slump and he exhaled. "Alright. I know Marko. When I was eight years old I'd run off from my parents. I really wanted to go to the park but Mom and Dad insisted on home. I did a very stupid thing and snuck away to the park. When I heard them shouting for me I hid because I was scared of getting a clip round the ear and being scolded. When I was hiding I saw two guys approach my folks and they killed them. Latched onto their throats and drank their blood. I ran straight back to the streets and to the first cop I saw. When I brought them to the park, my folks and the leeches had gone."

"And one of them was Marko?" Edgar asked.

"According to my Dad."

Sam frowned. "How did your Dad know Marko's name?"

Blake slowly replied in a hushed voice. "Because Marko was my Dad's younger brother."

There was absolute silence. Blake, Sam, Edgar… all three were silent. Blake gave a sigh through his nose, the first one to break the silence and he leaned back. Palms supported his weight as he looked back and forth between Edgar and Sam. Both with a twin expression of stunned and horrified… and a bit of disgust from Edgar. Blake managed a snort and a wry smirk.

"Before he was a vampire, Marko was a sixteen year old nuisance who fell out with my Grandpa. All to do with school. Grandpa wanted him to pursue studies that were more academic. Marko wanted to do whatever the hell he wanted and be some sort of artist. It was stupid. He ran away in the sixties and in 1970, he came back with his pack. As a vampire."

"For your family?" Edgar asked.

Blake's eyes narrowed. Unless he wanted the anger to fuel him, he usually kept the memories of that night repressed. Hidden away in a corner of his mind that only he allowed to surface when he wanted it to. He thought back to that summer night in 1970. His parents had been looking for him. He had seen them frantically marching around. When they came across Marko and the other vampire he remembered his dad confronting Marko. Surprised that his younger brother had randomly turned up but Marko had… been the same? Yes, it was getting clearer now. Marko had been just as surprised as well. Confused that his dad was addressing him with such familiarity.

"No, I don't think he was targeting them. He didn't even seem to recognise my folks."

"Vampires lose memories of their human life. I think that's how they can become killers so easily. After a while they start to forget what it was like to be human," Sam said.

"Wrong place, wrong time," Blake muttered. "That's all it was."

"So you've known about vampires since you were a kid?" Sam asked.

Blake nodded. "I didn't start hunting until my teens though. I spent years learning all about them."

"And then you wrote the comics," Edgar said.

"I thought I was doing the right thing by publishing everything I found. Maybe someone would pick it up and recognise them or would find the same experiences. Maybe it would expose all vampires. It was naïve and the only thing it led to was my fiancée being ripped from limb to limb. I stopped writing and drawing the comics after that."

"Oh, jeez. Sorry, man," Edgar mumbled.

Blake shrugged. "Gotta keep going. Know that the only way I can deal with them is being killing them myself."

"So when you heard Marko… that's the reason you came?"

Blake gave another silent nod at Edgar. "I never thought I'd ever see Marko again. But then you guys came along so I grabbed the chance. He's tough. One of the toughest vampires I've come across."

"He surprises a lot of people," Sam said. "He's a tricky one. More than he seems for sure."

"You should have let us know, man," Edgar added.

"Want to go explaining to hunters in the future about what happened to Alan?" Blake asked. He glared at Edgar, watching the young hunter's shoulders hunch despite the hardened glare he was sending back in response. Blake simply raised an eyebrow.

"My point exactly. What happened isn't something I like to talk about."

"It's not a sign of mistrust," Sam reminded Edgar.

"People are refusing to tell me a lot of things nowadays. It just causes trouble," Edgar said.

"Still," Sam continued, stepping in as always to be the middle man for two argumentative males. He'd had plenty of practise when it was Edgar and Alan. "The truth hurts to admit or reveal out loud. We'll now focus on helping Blake kill Marko since that was the secret he was keeping. It wasn't betraying us."

Sam flashed a small smile at Blake, a little nod and he received one back in response.

"Thanks, man," Blake whispered.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review. Chapter 17 will be posted next Tuesday.**


	18. Chapter 17

"Imogen, honey." There was a knock on her bedroom door and she froze. As the night crept closer, Imogen had finally woken up. Greeted by a burning thirst in her throat, she had stayed curled up on her bed, gritting her teeth as she tried not to focus on the heartbeats of her parents downstairs and the faint scent of their blood drifting in the air.

The hunger was already getting worse.

"Mom, please don't come in," Imogen said. "I don't want you to catch this."

"Honey, Bobby's here. He wants to see you."

 _Shit, shit, shit!_

"Mom, I'm really not up for visitors," Imogen said and cleared her throat. Her voice came out hoarse. Like she smoked twenty packs a day. She rubbed at the skin at the base of her throat, cringing at the dryness and burning that stung. Now and again, it felt like she couldn't breathe. Taking a deep breath was a struggle and there was a slight wheeze when she inhaled or exhaled.

All she wanted was a drink. From someone's vein…

"He's coming in," her mother said and Imogen growled.

 _Why does she never listen?_

She braced herself as the door creaked open and Bobby peered in. He was solemn, not smiling at her once as he walked straight in and closed the bedroom door behind him. Imogen raised an eyebrow. Her mother must think she was really feeling ill if she was allowing the bedroom door to be closed. But Imogen wasn't going to question or complain. Having that door shut was a small step in feeling isolated which is what she wanted the most while this vampire business was sorted out.

"You don't look great," Bobby said.

Imogen looked at her arms. She had lost a lot of colour in her skin. She was almost white as the sheets on her bed. It was an unhealthy look and it reminded her too much of how Bridget and those full vampires looked. Ghostly pale. Completely porcelain from the lack of sunlight. She could even see the thin spidery lines of her veins. And she must have looked gaunt in her cheeks. She hadn't eaten in days, not since Friday when she first started feeling strange. The night she had sipped that blood Marko sneaked in Bobby's drink.

"Why do I get the feeling something isn't right?" Bobby asked. "Like… it's more than a cold."

Imogen bit her lip. Most of her focus was on the slow, calm beat of his heart. _Ba boom, ba boom, ba boom…_ She could see the perfect spot on his neck where a vein was and all she wanted to do was sink her teeth into his skin. If he didn't leave, she was probably going to give in. Even after insisting to Bridget that she wouldn't.

Imogen shut her eyes, almost chuckling dryly out loud as she remembered her conversation with Bridget. Or rather the half vampire lecturing her about what to expect. Imogen swore she would be fine. That she could wave away any of these cravings she was told to expect. But after a few days of being like this she was aching for that kill. Wanting so much to be the reason why someone's life was slowly disappearing from their eyes. Her memories were starting to become hazy. She once woke up to her mother checking in on her and, for a second, she didn't even recognise Mrs Reece. She wondered where the hell she actually was. That popular, straight A and soccer star student seemed like a different person. A different life that she never had.

But she did. She was Imogen Reece. She had to keep remembering that.

"Imogen are you listening to me? What's wrong with you?" Bobby asked. He had taken a step forward, eyebrows knitted together and a desperate plea in his eyes for her to give him some answers.

Maybe he needed them.

Who knew how long she was going to be fighting this? Maybe the one thing she needed was her boyfriend knowing. Bobby was tough. She had seen him in fights before. Some, unfortunately, that he had started. Mainly with Alan Frog. But he was strong and could pack a punch. And hopefully he would be there to help her.

"Okay," she breathed and stood up. She was scruffy in a loose t-shirt and pyjama shorts. Wrinkled slouch socks on her feet. Her red hair was a wild, almost bushy mess and she wondered how much of an intimidating vampire she looked at that moment.

"Remember Friday when I didn't feel well all of a sudden?" she asked.

Bobby nodded.

"Well, I'm still ill from that night. But, it's not your usual illness." She shut her eyes, sighing at herself. She was rambling. "Okay, fuck this. Bobby, I'm turning into a vampire."

She opened her eyes, wide as she waited for Bobby's reaction. He was silent for a few seconds before he rolled his eyes and exhaled through his nose.

"Imogen, what the hell –?"

She took a step forward and allowed her eyes to glow. "Look at me!" she snapped and shifted the rest of her face. Her fangs poked at her lower lip. Bones cracked and shifted inside to reveal her new features. Bobby swore loudly, backing right into the door and Imogen quickly willed her face to turn back to normal. She put her hands up.

"Don't get my parent's attention!" she hissed. "I'm trying to stay away from them."

"What the fuck, Imogen?" Bobby reached for the door handle.

"Bobby, please! I need you. I need your help."

She moved quicker than him, getting there before he could fully turn the knob and she rested her palm on the door. It stayed shut. No amount of pulling and tugging from Bobby could get it open. He whimpered and tears sprung in her eyes at how afraid he was of her.

"Bobby, someone spiked that drink with vampire blood. It was meant for you but I took a sip of it instead. Remember?"

He slowly stopped, keeping his head down as he glanced at her. The slow beats of his heart had picked up, furiously thumping away now.

"I remember."

"There's something going on and humans are just being picked at random as pawns. Fighting a stupid battle. All this time, vampires have been in Santa Carla and none of us have known it."

"Some have," Bobby whispered. "Edgar Frog. And his brother before he disappeared. Those two wackos always used to go on about vampires."

Imogen nodded. "They knew. They've also been hunting them."

"Like vampire hunters?"

"Yeah. You know all those times you've been beating up Alan Frog and bullying him? He was out there staking vampires to keep everyone in this town safe."

Bobby backed away from the door. He swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "Shit," he whispered. "I was a dick to him."

"We all were," Imogen said.

"Maybe Edgar can help you," Bobby said.

"He can. I've been to see him already. Him, Sam Emerson and Bonnie Casey. All of them know and they're already trying to help me."

"I'm helping you too," Bobby said, clenching his fists and tears sprung to Imogen's eyes again.

"Really? I'm so sorry I scared you. You wouldn't have believed me if you hadn't seen… this." She gestured to her face. She smiled when he came right up to her. Face to face, towering over as he stared down. He didn't lean down to kiss her but he traced a finger down her cheek.

"Can this be reversed?" he asked.

"If I don't kill for blood then yes. It can."

He nodded. "I'm helping you. You're my girl, Imogen. And I'm not letting you go."

* * *

Bobby stuck to his word that he would stay. They told Imogen's parents that she was feeling slightly better and were going to hang out at the beach with some friends. Instead they were going straight to Downtown where everyone was gathering for a hunt.

"I can't believe all this time the Frogs were staking vampires. Did you ever see Alan in PE for the first two years of high school? He was a weed," Bobby said as he slowly pulled into a parking space.

"Bobby, before we go and meet everyone I need to ask you to do something. These guys are actually out risking their lives to make sure vampires can't get to us. You need to be nice, okay? We owe them a lot. They didn't have to help me, you know. I've been a super bitch to them all in the past and they could have told me it was karma and wished me luck dealing with shit on my own. But they're trying to help me return human. We need to show a little respect for them, okay?"

Bobby sighed, a slight nod as he frowned. "Yeah. I get you. So, what happened to Alan, Bridget and Bernice? They hunt vampires so have they been killed?"

"I'll let Edgar explain," Imogen said.

It was a fair walk to Downtown. Passing the small crowds on the Boardwalk first and the stalls around before they started to get to the larger crowds of college students and people in their twenties. As the club music began and the number of drunks around increased, they knew they had crossed over into one of the seediest places in Santa Carla. Edgar had told them to meet near the old Astala theatre.

"Fucking hell, he looks ready for World War Three," Bobby muttered as he caught sight of Edgar. Dressed completely in camouflage with his trademark bandana around his head and paint across his face, Edgar looked like a soldier ready to land right into the battle zone. Across his chest he had a baldric on. Three pockets strapped to it with stakes poking out. Sam Emerson held a crossbow and Bobby watched him swiftly load a new arrow as if it was second nature to him. He worked quickly, not at all struggling to get himself prepared. Bonnie Casey, dainty and short, looked ready to slice and dice these monsters that roamed the Santa Carla streets. She was usually so girly in her skirts with at least one pink item on. She normally wore at least three bright colours, completely mismatched and clashing but nothing on earth would make her dress down and wear dark colours. She aimed to stand out. Tonight, she had on dark blue leggings and a long sleeved black t-shirt that stopped at her thighs. She had begun tying her hair up in a ponytail as Imogen and Bobby arrived.

"Okay… this is fucking weird," Bobby said when he and Imogen approached them. There was an unfamiliar guy with them. Blonde and stocky with vampire hunting gear as well. He was solemn, eyeing them both up as they came to meet the hunters. He still had a slightly youthful look but his hardened features and the flashes of grey in his hair suggested he was quite a few years older than them.

"I had no idea," Bobby added, almost in a whispered tone.

"Sometimes I had no idea why we were making sure the likes of you didn't become a midnight snack," Bonnie said, scowling at him.

"How come we've never seen a single vampire?" he asked, gesturing between himself and Imogen.

"Unless it's their ultimate plan to wind up on a science table being cut open, vampires don't usually make themselves known," Edgar explain.

"If you come across a vampire it's either because they're going to turn you or kill you," Sam added.

"And if we're not around, you're probably not going to make it away alive," the stranger said. He gave a brief nod to Bobby and Imogen. "Blake. Comic book writer and vampire hunter."

"Are you a famous writer?" Imogen asked. "Like X-Men or… what was that superhero Alan always read about? Spider-Man?"

Blake gave a scoff. "I wish. I'm… still relatively unknown."

"There's something I wanna know. Bernice, Bridget and Alan are all missing. Which pretty much means dead in this shitty town," Bobby said. He looked at Edgar, cringing and falling into silence before he could ask the question he really wanted to the answer to.

"Okay," Edgar sighed, straightening up but his eyebrows creased together and pulled his lips into a thin line before he explained everything. "If you're going to help, I need to warn you now. Alan and Bernice were turned. They're vampires now. And we're working with their pack to stop the rogue vampire that made Imogen a half vampire. So I'm warning you now because you will probably see Alan at some point and whatever war you two had going on can't continue. He's made that first kill to become a full vampire so he'd have no issue in killing you."

"What if he tries it to kill me anyway?" Bobby asked.

"If you're fighting on our side that pack needs to behave. They can't touch any of us. You'll just be another number."

"And if we win? What's stopping him then?"

"Nothing. But they've all agreed to leave Santa Carla when it's all over. If they don't want us hunting them all down they'll stay away."

Bobby gave a light shrug. "Okay. I guess I'll have to accept that for now. You didn't mention Bridget. Is she actually dead?"

"She's like me," Imogen said.

"But she's too far gone," Bonnie added. "She's been like this for two weeks now and she's almost lost complete control."

"She's with _them._ " Edgar wrinkled his nose at his last word and Bobby had a good guess what he meant by 'them'. "She's a danger and we couldn't have her around. Unfortunately it meant she decided to go with that pack."

"But you can still save her, right?" Bobby asked. "You just need this Head Vampire Imogen was telling me about. Hasn't he turned Bridget as well?"

"No. It wasn't him," Edgar said. Bobby waited for an explanation but Edgar merely shrugged and mumbled at everyone to get their things.

"We need to go," he said and beckoned everyone to follow him.

* * *

"I guess we're not meeting the vampires then," Bobby said as he walked through the town centre. He had been paired with Imogen and Bonnie, wanting to stick with his girlfriend and Edgar thought they would be a good pair for Bonnie to help her fight. It annoyed Bonnie that Edgar was subtly hinting at her own weaknesses but when she thought about it, Bobby and Imogen would be good to stick near to. She had begun to learn how to fight although relapses meant she trained less and could suddenly be in too much pain to fight in an actual battle. MS gave her a vulnerability she wished she didn't have and she also wished she could be just a strong a hunter as Edgar, Blake and Sam. But she would have been a fool to think there was nothing wrong with her. Having the tall and athletic Bobby and half vampire Imogen with her gave her extra brawn.

She still planned on packing a good punch on a bloodsucker if they came across one.

"They were supposed to come. But we're not complaining. Although…" Bonnie bit her lip. "It's a worry when Bridget went off with them last night. They could be focusing on her tonight. Persuade her to turn."

"Is she really that bad?" Bobby asked. "I mean, I know her temper too well. She's kind of a psycho."

"Hey, that's still my friend," Bonnie snapped. "She's not a psycho, she just doesn't take shit from people. And she's taken a lot of shit from you and your snobby little gang."

"She's threatened to punch me a good few times," Bobby said.

Bonnie scowled. "And if I had a dollar for every time Alan came home with a black eye or a swollen cheek from your own fist, I'd be a freaking millionaire."

They had ceased walking, Bonnie turning around to stand and glare straight at Bobby. He matched her scowl, making sure he straightened up too. A way of making himself look intimidating. Bonnie recognised that stance all too well. She had seen him do it to Alan. Stand close. Feet apart. Palms on hips and his back straight as a ruler as he glared down. Bobby was a whole foot taller than her but she stood her ground, despite being five foot one and glared right back up. She had faced vampires. Almost become one herself. Suddenly, high school bullies didn't seem all that scary. And the good thing about being short? She had an easy aim to his most sensitive area if she really wanted to cause him some pain.

"What? Are you going to hit me?" she asked and she almost sounded like she was challenging him. "'Cos all I need to do is raise my knee. And I know where all the right pressure points are on your body to hit. One smack and you're down."

"No-one is going to fight. Unless it's a full vampire, we're working together," Imogen said, taking a step forward to the two teenagers. "Bobby's just all talk. He would never hit a girl."

She stared up at him, mentally demanding an agreement and slowly, he stepped away. At Bonnie's threat his features had softened and Bonnie could see in his eyes that she had worried him slightly. For a second, he had been going into High School Bobby mode. When Bonnie had decided to stand up for herself and threaten him back he must have realised that he wasn't just dealing with another kid from school. She was a vampire hunter and a pretty decent one to have survived this long and have quite a few vampire kills on her hands. He did what High School Bobby would have never done. He backed off.

"We should probably focus on the hunt," he said and clutched the stake Edgar had loaned him. He cleared his throat, marching past Bonnie and Imogen to lead the way.

After a few seconds of silence he began talking again. "So, I noticed Edgar went a bit strange when I asked about Bridget's Head Vampire. Isn't he the same one that turned Imogen?"

"Um. No." Bonnie's mouth twitched into a frown. "Alan turned her."

"Oh?" Bobby's eyebrows raised. "I knew it! They really were doing the dirty in secret."

Bonnie sighed. "They only got together a couple of days before they all went 'missing'. There's nothing else to say about it. And I don't really want to gossip about it like an old granny. Does it really matter if they were in a relationship or not?"

"Bobby just likes to be right," Imogen said with a sigh and she nudged her boyfriend in the side. "And he _is_ a gossip. I've never met such a nosy guy."

"You love me for it, though," Bobby said, smiling down at her. "So, what does that mean for Bridget? You need to kill the Head Vampire to return human, right? Could she actually go through with killing Alan?"

"Could _any_ of you do it?" Imogen asked.

"That's been the problem," Bonnie explained. "It's Alan. Edgar can't kill his own brother, we can't kill a friend and Bridget can't kill her boyfriend. All of us are too attached. It's the same for Bernice as well."

Bobby frowned. "So if you don't kill Alan…?"

"Either Bridget wastes away and starves to death because she refuses to feed or she'll finally give in and turn. I want to stay optimistic but it looks like we're going to lose her somehow."

"Sorry," Imogen said.

"Yeah. That sucks," Bobby mumbled. He glanced at Imogen, taking in her appearance. Knowing she was a half vampire now, he could see how pale she looked. Imogen was drawn to the sun like a fly to the light. She longed for the summers where she could tan her skin and parade around with a sun kissed look she would be proud of. Her skin since turning had lost a lot of its colour. Turned into a chalk white colour that didn't look healthy. She hadn't eaten since last Friday and now he noticed her skin seemed tight and stretched across her high cheekbones. Her face definitely seemed thinner and bruising was starting to appear under her eyes. Seeing her like this made it feel like someone had his heart tight in their painful grasp. It twisted and thumped against his chest as he thought about losing her to monsters.

Imogen caught his gaze and a smile tugged up on her lips. It was almost proud and brave as she raised her chin slightly and her eyes creased. Like she was telling him she was going to fight. He needn't be worried because no vampire or urge for blood was going to take her away from him.

Both of them were very used to getting whatever they wanted. And right now they both wanted humanity and to be together.

"Okay, what do I need to know?" Bobby asked. "Stake to the heart? Just like in the movies?"

Bonnie nodded. "Holy water and crosses will keep them at bay. If you can get them splashed with the water it'll burn their skin and should distract them for a few seconds. But only for a few seconds."

"Garlic?"

"Garlic is more like a very bad smell. Doesn't do anything to vampires except stink. So, false."

There was a wind picking up around them. The night was cold but still so the sudden breeze had Bonnie straightening her back. When she heard that familiar screech of bats and the flapping of clothes, she took her stake out of her jacket pocket.

"Hear that weird sound? Like a high pitched shriek?" she asked Bobby and Imogen.

"I've heard that lots of times," Bobby said.

"Vampires."

"But I've heard that since being a kid."

"Hence why we're the Murder Capital of the World," Bonnie said and Bobby shuddered.

"I can hear someone walking towards us," Imogen said. When Bonnie and Bobby frowned, her cheeks warmed up. "Is that not normal?"

Bonnie shook her head but looked sympathetic. "You'll pick up noises or sense things we can't as humans. But use it to your advantage. Which direction? How many?"

Imogen closed her eyes, focusing her hearing on the footsteps. They were slow. In no rush at all but heading their way. And it was coming from…

There was a tiny snicker. From the right and she turned to the street on her right where a row of cafes and a coffee shop stood. As she pointed the vampire finally flickered into sight. Not there one minute but there the next. The vampire was male. Average height. Imogen could see his features. He was young. Their age, maybe a year older but not someone from their school. She didn't recognise the face. In fact, he was very grubby with loose, baggy clothes that had small tears in the shirt and his scruffy hair was mid-length and tied in a ponytail.

"You the hunters my boss has been telling me all about?"

"Who's your boss?" Bonnie asked, stepping forward to lead.

The boy stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing at Bonnie before he laughed, flashing teeth that were yellowing. Barely looked like they had been brushed in a while.

"Short and a red head. You must be the ungrateful little bitch my boss tried to turn."

"I'm famous?" Bonnie flashed a sarcastic smile. "I'm flattered."

"My boss isn't too pleased you killed his family."

"I'm not too pleased with him. Look, he's using you to kill us. You and whoever else he's just turned are all pawns helping him to get what he wants. It's all a big game of chess. You're the first soldiers to be sacrificed. He doesn't care."

"Then why did he ask me to become a vampire?" The boy let his features shift, flashing his fangs. "He's got ambitions but his pack are all part of it. Well…" He stopped to look at Imogen and sneered. "Almost all of us. He gives you his blood and this is the thanks he's getting? You're supposed to be with _us_."

Imogen threw her own sneer his way. "I wasn't given the choice. And I don't like being forced into things I don't want to do. Or be."

"You're going to die," Bonnie said, raising her stake. "That's what he's counting on. Idiots like you to fight for him so he can be the only one to come out on top."

"That's bullshit."

"You're not part of his pack," Bonnie continued. "Sorry but you're a pawn."

The vampire was easy to rile up. Maybe he was hot-headed as a human or he was new to vampirism and couldn't control that powerful wave of anger and hatred which came with the change. He roared, mouth stretching open to reveal his fangs and let loose a shuddering snarl. Like a lion about to attack its prey. His knees bent, ready to attack and fingers flexed, bending to look like claws.

"He's too angry. He'll attack but he won't think. Use that," Bonnie told Imogen and Bobby. She quickly ran to the side of the vampire. "Circle him!"

Imogen and Bobby moved. Imogen, taking advantage of her speed, dashed to the other side of the vampire, leaving Bobby where he was. They all dared to step closer to the vampire as he spun to hiss at every one of them. He could have flown away. He may have been surrounded on ground but he had the ability to fly. But he was new and cocky. He had been sent on a job by Marko and with the way he desperately spun and tried to focus on his first target told Bonnie he probably wanted to finish the task. Please his "boss". If he chose this, he wanted something out of it. He saw it as a progression.

Flying away would be cowardly.

 _Tough but idiotic,_ Bonnie thought. She got out her Holy water and unscrewed the bottle. The vampire turned to face her, fangs bared and she splashed it at him. Every drop sizzled his skin, chewing away the flesh and the vampire screamed, backing up. Right into Bobby.

Bobby had been prepared. He had a stake ready and when he saw the vampire staggering back he took it as an opportunity to attack. His arms reached out, one curling around the vampire's neck with the other ready to stake.

 _Only for a few seconds._ Bonnie's warning echoed in his head and he paused for one second. It was one second too long before he felt sharp fingernails dig into the sleeve of his shirt and he was being pulled forward. The vampire bent, using one arm to easily fling Bobby over his shoulder. Bobby saw the ground coming closer as he fell and, with a shriek, landed on his back. He hissed through his teeth, clenched together as he bared them in a grimace. His back throbbed when it crashed against the floor and he could faintly hear Imogen screaming his name.

When he opened his eyes he saw the vampire's face leering over him. His smile was wide, revealing long incisors and canines that ended in sharp points. His eyes burned yellow. Glowing and glaring down at him. His face was entirely inhuman. The long, almost gaunt face had shifted to show prominent cheekbones, now sharply defined. A forehead that almost drooped over his burning eyes like a hood. A reptilian hiss rattled from the vampire as he dove to attack again.

Bobby's first reaction was to shield himself. Arms darting up to shield his face as he closed his eyes and screamed. He braced himself for the death strike. Fangs digging into his throat. Or a clawed hand ripping his heart from his chest. Instead he heard a female screech and the vampire roaring before the foul, cold breath in Bobby's face disappeared. There was a breeze. Frantic running before he heard the thud of two people smashing into each other. Slowly, Bobby opened his eyes, peeking through the gaps between his hands and saw Imogen on her knees, ready to raise a fist at the vampire lying on the ground. It was a good attempt to fight and she was ready to pound her tightly closed fist into the vampire's face, beginning to bring it down with her own fangs bared. But she was new and only a half. He was new too but he was a full vampire. He grabbed hold of her t-shirt and tossed her aside like an unwanted toy. She rolled across the street, crying out at every scrap of skin against the rough road.

Bonnie leapt into action. She had watched the vampire's eyes flicker. Bobby or Imogen. Which one was the easiest to kill right now? From what she remembered of the temper vampires had, she knew his mind must be clouded. Unable to think strategies from the rage of having two people, a human and a half vampire attack him. There was something in the transformation that made vampires too proud. So proud that they could flip in a single switch at the thought of a weaker species getting the better of them. And the vampire's rage was focused on Imogen. The one who had dared prevent him from a kill. He spun round to face her, eyes glowing and mouth twisting into a snarl. That was Bonnie's cue to move. She dashed to the vampire, throwing herself on his back. One arm was pressed against his throat. Her forearm dug in and she kept that hold by grabbing onto her wrist. She pulled back, knee sharply into his spine. The vampire squirmed, almost throwing her off. The hold would only last a few seconds on a vampire before she would be thrown aside too. She looked up at Bobby.

"Stake him! Now!" she screamed.

For a second Bobby stayed on the ground. He blinked, confused at the sudden order. It was a second too long before Bonnie yelled again.

" _Bobby get the freaking stake and do it now!"_

He fumbled on the road, grasping the wooden stake he had dropped. He raised it. The point aimed at the vampire and he half ran, half jumped at the wriggling vampire in Bonnie's grip. She had almost lost her hold on him… she felt him push back, making her lose her kneeling stance…

 _Shiiiiit…_ she thought and gritted her teeth as she pressed her forearm further into his throat.

Bobby thrust his arm forward. The stake moving straight towards the vampire's heart. All his strength went into digging that point further into the vampire's chest and a shrill screech echoed through the streets. Bonnie quickly let go, seeing the vampire's skin bubble up. Blood gurgled out from his mouth. Gushing out violently. Bobby darted away, feeling Bonnie grasp his hand and haul him to his feet.

Imogen's lips curled up in disgust at the vampire leaking blood from his mouth, eyes and ears. It poured as his skin continued to bubble. Blisters protruding all over. The vampire shook, convulsing from the fatal strike until all at once he exploded. Skin and blood flying around everywhere. Landing on the pavement… the road. Hitting Bobby, Imogen and Bonnie who all shielded their face and squeezed their eyes tightly shut.

"Aw… no fucking way!" Bobby groaned, leaping up. He kept his arms outstretched, looking down at his bloody self and gagged as he flicked a strip of skin off his shoulder. He bent over, retching before he made one final lurch and vomited.

"That was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life!" Imogen moaned and squealed when she noticed there was skin in her hair. Furiously she shook her head, running her hands through the strands.

Only Bonnie stood poker-faced at the scene before them. She gave a simple shrug and made a casual wave of her hand at them.

"You get used to it after the eighth or tenth time," she said and twirled around to grin at Bobby. "Congratulations. Your first vampire kill."

Bobby gave a nervous laugh, attempting to smile but managing only a grimace.

"I think I need to go home now," he muttered.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. If you would like to leave a review, please feel free to. Chapter 18 will be uploaded on Saturday.**


	19. Chapter 18

Bridget felt the pull of the night waking her up from the deep slumber she fell into now from the day. The night was almost like a whisper, tugging and nudging her to wake up. She opened her eyes, a short lived buzz of energy before her throat burned, dry and rough. She coughed, rubbing at the skin before she glanced back at Alan who stirred beside her. He was on his side, arm wrapped tightly around her waist and his eyelids fluttered open, an immediate widening of surprise as he lifted his head up.

"Hey," she greeted as she moved onto her back. "I stayed this time."

"It's nice to wake up with you," he said and grinned. "Knocked my confidence a little when you ran off the last time we slept together."

"I got a little freaked out," she said as he sat up slightly, still on his side but propping himself up with his elbow. As he rested his head against his palm his other hand reached for her hair and he began brushing his fingers against the brown strands.

"And you wanted to find another cure."

She nodded. "And that. But there isn't so…" She shrugged. "I don't know what's going to happen."

"I think you do."

"I'm scared."

"You'll be fine."

She sighed, biting at her lip. "What are they like?"

"Ruby and Logan are alright. They're actually quite protective once you're with them. Doctor Mathias – Adam, he's very father-like. He's concerned about all of us." Alan's eyes averted. "It's nice having someone concerned for you in a fatherly way."

"You had your uncle."

"Don't get me wrong. Uncle Gerry took us all in and provided for me and Edgar. But he and Aunt Pam had to work a lot to help us out. Too hard. Adam's just there." He glanced back at Bridget, shuffling closer. She allowed him, not making a move to push him away. Not even when his hand snaked back around her waist.

"Do you like being like this?" she asked.

"It's hard not to like it. I can fly. I'm strong. I won't ever age."

"I can't decide if I wanted to grow up. Next year we were supposed to start applying for college. I have no idea what I want to do." She sighed. "Right now my future is torn between vampires and humans."

"I'll help. Come out with us tonight," Alan said.

"Everyone will turn against me."

"They already have."

"Shouldn't we be dealing with Marko?"

"Just me, you and Bernice." There was a grin on his face as his forehead rested against hers. "Just a bit of freedom for once."

She fought back a smile, accepting his kiss when he closed the gap between them. Her hand was cool on his cheek. Still warmer than his temperature but noticeably icy. She felt more than she could think. The vampire inside of her had awoken in interest. A stir of curiosity over a night out that could hopefully lead to quenching her burning thirst. Bridget didn't try to push the monster away. This time, she allowed it to stay awake. To take over as she continued the kiss and gently flick the tip of her tongue across his bottom lip.

"Oi, lovebirds! Open up!"

Alan growled as he broke away and rolled straight onto his back.

"She really needs to stop interrupting," he muttered through his teeth while Bridget scrambled up, stealing a sheet to wrap around herself.

"Just wait!" she snapped, spinning around to find her clothes. Alan continued to grumble to himself as hopped into his trousers.

"Have you seen my top?" Bridget asked him, running a frantic hand through her hair. She shuffled about when the door handle began to twist. "No!" She sprinted to the door, using her inhuman speed and she pushed the door back as it began to open.

"Fuck's sake Ruby! Lemme get dressed!" she growled, baring her fangs.

"Guys, hurry up," Ruby said. "Look, I get it. You want to make up for all those months you stayed platonic. Alan wants to make sure it wasn't the shag that made you up and run –."

" _Ruby!_ "

"Get out!" Bridget shrieked as the vampire stormed right in. She had Bernice in tow whose eyes widened at the sight in front of her. She stared at her sister whose cheeks were flushed as she held onto the sheet wrapped around her body. Then at Alan, arms folded against his chest. He only had on his trousers and Bernice quickly covered her eyes.

"I was hoping you two were dressed by now," she said.

Ruby snickered as Alan reached for an olive green t-shirt with army written on it in bold, black writing across the chest. He hurriedly through it on as Bridget began to gather up the clothes she had thrown about.

"Try and keep the moaning down next time," she teased and elbowed Bernice. "Big sister doesn't need to hear little sister screwing a guy."

Bernice took her hands away from her face, frowning. "I really don't."

"I'm not little," Bridget said, trying to hold her clothes to her chest and keep the sheet up at the same time.

"Bernie, quit looking at me like that," Alan snapped.

"I wish you wouldn't do it in the same building as me. I don't think I like the idea of my little sister having sex," Bernice said.

"I'm _not_ little," Bridget repeated.

"It's a big step. Lots of responsibilities."

"Like what?" Bridget asked, rolling her eyes. "Pregnancy? I think you can rule that out with vampires."

"I still worry."

Bridget was almost taken aback, even quirking an eyebrow up in surprise at her sister. "You worry? Really?"

"Don't look so surprised. You're my sister and I care about you." Bernice flashed a smile at her. "It's not being like a mindless zombie, y'know. I care and I don't set out to hurt everyone I set my eyes on. Vampires can control themselves."

"Unless you're in the process of turning. Then you just want to take a bite out of everyone," Ruby said, beaming wide as she leaned towards the half vampire. "How's that thirst of yours, little sis?"

"I have a fucking name," Bridget snapped. "Use it."

"How's that thirst of yours… _Bridget_?"

Ruby's grey eyes seemed to sparkle mischievously and she chuckled as she waited for an answer. Bridget had immediately stammered over her words before her shoulders slumped.

"It's unbearable," she muttered.

"Well, only you can solve the problem. Take it into consideration, of course, that we'd rip your head off if you tried to stake Alan. He's one of us now and we protect our kind. So you either let yourself starve and die or you get that stick out of your arse and _kill._ " Ruby nodded at the empty blood bag on the floor. "You've been at the bags again. How many did you bring?"

She bent down, picking up Bridget's rucksack before the half vampire snatched it back.

"Privacy!" Bridget snapped, eyes glowing amber as she glared at Ruby. "Seriously, do you even have a fucking concept of it?"

"I'm asking because we have too many vampires out of control. And you're one of them. If you're not careful that hunger will get too strong and you won't just be using one human for your first kill," Ruby said. "Look at how many of these you go through!"

Bridget huffed through her nose but her shoulders seemed to sag and she dipped her head, letting the bag drop to the floor and she wandered away from it. She hated admitting that Ruby had a point. A hungry vampire with no will power was a danger. She could get herself killed. Get Alan and Bernice discovered.

"I thought we could take Bridget out tonight," Alan said.

"To feed?" Bernice smiled at her sister who froze, tensing her shoulders again until Alan's arm wrapped around them. That helped her relax. But only a little. She licked her dry lips nervously before biting down on her bottom lip.

"Just to explore. I'm not pushing anything," Alan said. "Just show her what it can be like."

"As long as you're careful of Marko's little pawns. We've got rid of that nut job Charlotte but he's still around and so are the idiot humans he's turning for distractions," Ruby said but she smiled at Bridget. "But a night out sounds like something she needs. Oh, get her using some mind control abilities!"

"Been there, done that," Bridget mumbled.

Ruby beamed again, this time with an approving smile. Like a proud parent.

"Isn't it fun to use? I'm coming with you guys tonight," Ruby declare, widening her smile and showing off her fangs. "I want to see what little sister can do now."

* * *

 _This was a bad idea. A very bad idea – they smell amazing!_

Bridget sniffed the air in the entrance to the bar. In response, her teeth ached. Longing to lengthen into needle-like points. Scents lingered together in the air, mixing and floating around to entice her. Encouraging her to indulge.

Until she got a sharp jab in the ribs from Ruby's elbow. "Lesson one, kid sister. It's creepy if you sniff the air."

"I can't take all these smells," Bridget whispered. She felt Alan's fingers slip between hers and she clutched onto his hand.

"Good. You'll feed then," Ruby said. "Because the skeleton look is not attractive."

Bridget touched her cheekbone, feeling sharper and easier to find than they should normally. She traced her fingers across her cheek, feeling where the fleshy part had begun to sink in. Her face remained in her human mask so she knew what she felt wasn't due to her vampire features showing. She hadn't seen her reflection for a while, not wanting to see how ghostly she looked. Now she didn't want to see how malnourished she had begun to look.

"We'll get you a drink… or two. You'll chill. Maybe find someone to feed off," Ruby said, patting Bridget on the back. "Take your time and have a bit of fun with them. I'm gonna go play."

She winked, her lips parting to teasingly show the tips of her fangs before she eased her way into the crowds, disappearing altogether.

 _Come on you two. Get her to have some fun._

Ruby's voice echoed in Bernice's and Alan's heads, followed by a sinister chuckle. They glanced at each other before Alan squeezed Bridget's hand and he led her through the crowds. They had chosen a popular student bar on the campus site of the University of Santa Carla. Students had gathered in large groups, huddled in their chosen areas: the bar, dance floor or a small seating area in the corner.

There was a live band on the stage. Almost twins of Guns 'n' Roses from their attire and hair. They were even doing a cover of _Paradise City._ The crowd below them thrashed and jumped as the frontman energetically danced about the stage as he sung. Sweat glistened off him from moving about so much, trickling down his tattooed arms. Bridget wished he could sweat more. Anything to get rid of his particular scent, sweet like honey.

The three found a booth to sit in, slinking in easily. Bridget kept herself pressed up against the wall, almost huddled up as she gritted her teeth together and tried not to breathe in.

"Brid, are you okay?" Bernice asked.

"This is gonna end badly," Bridget said.

She had tried to resist going for another blood bag, worried that if it really was making her hunger worse, it was probably a good idea to keep away.

But the hunger nagged and begged at her to be satisfied with or without the blood bags. She had an awful feeling this was going to be her last night as a half vampire.

 _And whose fault would be that be? You agreed to come here. You went to stay the night and slept with Alan again... you idiot, you're letting yourself turn._

"Depends on what you think is bad," Bernice said.

Her sister smiled before turning her head and her gazed settled onto a college aged guy pressed up against the wall. He stood hunched, clutching his drink as he took tiny sips with a small wrinkle of his nose each time. Bridget watched with wide eyes at the human Bernice had picked out. Her older sister used her fingers to fluff up her blonde waves, stroking down her dress with her palms and seemed to glide towards him. With her chin raised, a flirtatious smile and confident stride Bernice looked like she was on the prowl. A sneaky hunter who had set her eyes on the meek little runt. There was a hidden wickedness in Bernice's smile.

"He looks so innocent," Bridget muttered, yet an awful voice whispered in her head. Her own voice oozing with an icy malice.

 _Good. Easy kill._

"Sorry, Brid. They're our key to survival now," Alan said.

"Yeah, but there's no need to play around," Bridget said as she watched Bernice laugh and flick her hair back. The hair flicks, a hand on his shoulder… all of her sister's flirting tricks.

"I'd get it over with if I was a full vampire," Bridget continued, before falling into silence after admitting that.

"I just go ahead and feed. Don't like messing about," Alan said, glancing back to flash her a smile. "See that brunette near the bar?"

Bridget looked towards the bar, where an average height brunette gazed curiously their way. More towards Alan as she lost all focus on her chattering friend and stole sneaky glances.

"Is she checking you out?" Bridget asked, fighting back a grin.

"She looks interested, doesn't she? Might as well use that to our advantage." He looked her way again. "Ready?"

"You want me to kill her?"

"I want you to have a taste of what it's like."

Before she could make a decision, even make an incoherent mumble of protest to make her human side feel better, Alan's hand grasped hers and they stood up.

"It's very warm in here," Bridget heard Bernice say and she glanced at her older sister. There was a cold, suggestive smile on her face before the awkward college student suddenly coughed into his drink.

"Oh, you want to go outside?" He chuckled and offered his hand, setting down his drink. Bridget's heart skipped. Another skip when Alan stopped to glance at the girl. There was a moment's silence as they both made eye contact and the girl's expression became blank.

"What did you do?" Bridget asked as they walked again. This time to follow the girl as she made her way to the exit.

He tapped the side of his head. "Told her to go outside. Suggested she needed air."

It was a weight off her shoulders when they left the club. The scene of everyone's blood was further away. Not as strong when they got outside. But that was for a reason…

They followed the girl as she walked around the corner. She stood leading against the wall, rummaging in her bag to pull out a packet of cigarettes. She froze when Alan and Bridget appeared. Bridget right in front while Alan stood to the girl's left. The student jumped, a small squeal and Bridget felt her lips tugging up in a smile. To a human's eyes it must have looked like they had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It made the girl's heart thump fast and Bridget breathed in through her nose to catch the scent.

"Um, hi," the girl said. She tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace. Her expression however softened when she glimpsed at Alan. "I saw you in the club. Sorry, I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

Bridget, after an encouraging nod from Alan, smiled. "It's cool."

"Okay," the girl said and fell back into silence. The puzzlement on her face was clear. So what did they want?

"My girlfriend's hungry," Alan explained. He smiled at Bridget, noticing the hungry glaze in her eyes when the girl's heartbeat continued to pound against her chest.

"I'm just teaching her a few things," he said.

"Like wh-what?"

Alan tilted his head to catch her gaze again and there was a brief flash of amber.

"Don't move and don't make a sound," he said, reaching to take Bridget's hand. He tugged, a small pull for her to move closer to the girl. He found Bridget easy to move. She responded immediately, taking a couple of steps closer. When her lips parted the points of her fangs peeked out, just indenting her lower lip. The sky blue of her eyes were completely replaced by that glowing yellow and red rim around the iris.

"Go on," Alan urged, releasing Bridget's hand. He pointed to a vein on the girl's neck. "See it?"

"If I take too much –."

"You kill her. I'm not going to stop you. Use this as a lesson in control. Half vampire or vampire you need to start controlling that hunger. Know how to ignore it so you don't make a mistake and attack someone in public."

"Shit," she hissed but she advanced more. Her eyes were focused on that girl's vein. As Alan commanded she was still and staring ahead with glazed eyed without making a sound. An easy target and Bridget brushed the girl's hair off her throat, letting it smoothly spill off her fingers.

The rest of her face rippled to match her monstrous fangs. Her throat closed up, aching and burning for the fresh blood running through the girl's veins. The tips of her fangs raked against the skin. She felt the pressure, pushing against the girl's throat until the skin punctured. Her fangs sank deeper into the wound, slicing more of her victim's neck apart until she got her first taste of that warm blood flowing straight out.

Energy hit her like an electric jolt.

The exhaustion and the sluggishness already disappeared. The life from this girl became hers and she gulped the liquid up. Her throat soothed, the burning calmed and she could breathe again. No more constant suffocation.

But she felt a presence too close to her. Her hearing picked up the ripping of skin and she soon felt the blood being pulled somewhere else. She lifted her head, allowing the wet blood to trickle down the corners of her mouth and onto her chin. Alan had bit into the girl's throat on the other side.

"I thought you wanted me to kill her?"

He glanced up at her with inhuman features on show and blood smeared around his mouth. He smiled, flashing blood stained fangs.

"Just a taste. I'm helping in case you don't want to," he said and lifted his hand to gently stroke along the skin right under her bottom lip, wiping away some of the blood. "She's nearly gone. It's your call."

Bridget looked at their victim. Her colouring had been fair to begin with but now she looked like a corpse. Drained and completely pallid. Almost greyish. There was a blue tint to her lips. Like Alan said, she was nearly dead. Her pulse was weak, feebly beating. The choice was there for Bridget. She was close to death that Bridget only had to continue drinking and that was it. She would be a full vampire, choosing Alan and Bernice's side. But Alan also wanted her to learn about control. To resist acting on the thirst. Being a half vampire so long, Bridget felt ready to chew into any human and partly didn't care if it was in public. She only wanted blood. And that was dangerous because she could get herself and the people she cared about exposed. Maybe she didn't have to kill now. Maybe she could learn to take small bits here and there, getting the fresh blood she needed but never taking enough so she avoided that kill.

"No," she said and stepped back. She breathed heavily, her body aching to move forward and continue drinking but she had to tense the muscles in her body to order it to stay put. That it was not going to get what it desired. She licked the blood at her lips and shook her head.

"I can't. Not tonight."

She looked at the wound she had made on the girl's neck. Blood still trickled out. Plenty more for her to taste but she managed to force her legs to take a step back again. It was a stiff move but she did it nonetheless and nodded at Alan to keep going.

Not once did he question it. She had a decision and, true to his word, he didn't push for her to rethink. He lowered his head, going back to feeding and Bridget listened to that weakening heartbeat. Getting slower… fainter… shorter…

She glanced down at her hands. Those pasty hands with the horrible thin, spidery blue veins. After getting fresh blood in her system, her colouring looked more like the full vampires. Smooth and porcelain.

"You look better," Alan said, letting the girl drop to the ground. Completely ignoring the dead human, he walked over to Bridget and cupped a hand on her cheek. "You don't look at starved as you did."

"Bet that won't last if I didn't make the kill," she said.

"I thought you nailed the control there. You've got more will power than Ruby thinks." He took a quick glance at the corpse before his eyes flickered to her blood stained lips and chin. "So what did you think?"

Her eyes averted. "You know what I thought of that."

With a smile, he moved his hand away from her cheek and nudged her side gently. "You're starting to like it."

"The _vampire_ in me likes it. But fresh blood tasted amazing." She let out a shaky breath. "I want more."

Alan gestured to the club. "Plenty of food in there."

Bridget licked the blood on her lips, eyeing the club near them. Her mind went back to that frontman who had the best scent out of all those humans. She wouldn't have minded going back in to lure him away and take every drop of blood he had. The minute she had pierced that girl's throat, she had sensed the old vampire hunter and human Bridget disappearing. It was only a small part of her now compared to the vampire that had grown and taken over more of her mind. Those old fears of not finding a cure didn't seem as worrying now. She wasn't quite sure what she had been fretting over. In fact she hadn't felt so alive and energised. Why would she want to let go of something that made her feel strong and amazing?

"Do you sense that?" she asked Alan.

He nodded, peering past her. Down the small back street. To human eyes there would only be darkness. No sound at all. But they could both hear the small growling and could make out the figure standing in the darkness. A male in his mid to late twenties who was dressed in a business suit. It was wrinkled and dusty but he still sported the white shirt and thin, smart tie. His trousers were black. Plain work trousers and shoes that probably looked new and expensive at some point. If he had been human his blonde hair might have been combed neatly but as a vampire it was wild, sticking out in all directions. With fresh blood on his lips, he had only recently killed. However neither Alan nor Bridget could tell if that was his first kill or simply his food for the night. But by how he was easy to sense and hear they both guessed recently turned. Not quite apt on sneaking up.

"Looking for us?" Alan asked, grinning at Bridget who had a glint in her amber eyes. He recognised that excited and eager gleam. He used to see it all the time whenever they were about to start a vampire hunt. She had turned to face the direction of this vampire, already with her feet apart and absolutely still as she carefully watched this young man. She did one quick look about, in case he hadn't come along but they would have both been able to sense another presence. This young man was by himself.

And remembering the situation they had been in for the last few weeks, probably another one of Marko's little pawns. It would be fitting to send someone after them, not just as a distraction but as punishment for killing Charlotte.

"You know why I'm here?" the vampire asked, stepping forward. When compared to the other pawns Marko had been scattering around, this one didn't seem very sure of himself. As he moved closer, using his vampire speed, he still stopped away from them. Not getting too close. His eyebrows furrowed as Alan and Bridget both stood tense and braced, ready for a fight straight away. They were quick to prepare their stances and if the vampire was any good at learning his new abilities, he would be able to sense that they were ready for fighting.

"So what's the reason for you?" Alan asked. "I've heard so many from Marko. We're dangerous and exposing vampires, we're the dicks who need to get off his territory, we kill vampires for no reason…"

"He said you killed his partner. That you'll kill any vampire for territory that doesn't belong to you. I was warned you're dangerous and need putting a stop to."

Alan glanced at Bridget. "He does like that excuse. That we're the so-called invaders."

"Hell, we were fucking _born_ here," Bridget said, quirking an eyebrow at the vampire. "This is our hometown."

"How many of you are there?" Alan asked.

"Um… what do you mean? I was sent here by myself. There's only me."

"To fight us? Are the others after our friends?"

The young man frowned. "There's just me. Marko just turned me. There's no-one else in the pack."

Alan shook his head, grinning while Bridget snickered quietly beside him. They both smirked at each other before directing their amused gazes to the young man who continued to frown. But now he stepped back, not doing very well at hiding his lack of confidence. He must have been unsure of vampirism to begin with. He had clearly chosen to take that next step and feed but he was only getting to know the person who turned him.

"No, there's too many of you. Marko is the one who's a danger. He's turned people like you to help him win a battle he can't do himself," Bridget said.

Despite his uncertainty he sneered at Bridget, finally letting those vampire features slip out. "You've fed but you're not a full vampire. You chickened out."

Bridget's nostrils flared and she spoke through her teeth, baring her fangs back. "Got a problem with half vampires?"

"You're a freak. Half vampire, half human." He suddenly laughed, realising what being a half vampire meant. Even if he was new, he would be stronger than her. "Marko said you'd be easy to kill. A pathetic half who doesn't have what it takes to be a full vampire."

Bridget growled, ready to take a step towards the vampire and start attacking. But she braced herself, trying not to let the anger build up inside her. She could feel it bubbling away, desperate to rise until she let go all control and acted entirely on animalistic instincts. There had been a few times she had let her anger make all the decisions. Hell, one of the reasons she was in this state was because she had acted on rage.

"How long have you been a vampire?" Alan asked, his eyes glowing at the vampire's comment towards Bridget.

"None of your business," the vampire snapped.

"Oh, he's new," Bridget said to Alan. "See the way he squirmed?"

"And I bet prior to being a vampire he didn't have the experience we had. No knowledge of fighting whatsoever."

"I'm sure I can take a kid and a half vampire," the vampire said and snarled at them.

Alan laughed. "I'm seventeen years old and I've lost count of how many vampires I've killed. How many _we've_ killed." He added that last part with a gesture towards to Bridget. "Look, you can walk away. Cut your ties with Marko and go be a vampire somewhere else. Go fuck off to another town because if you stay in his pack, you're just going to get yourself killed."

"I'm not being chased away by a fucking pack of vampires who turn on your own kind," the vampire said. "I chose this life and I want to make sure I'm safe. You killed Marko's family. You're not killing anymore." In one determined move, he bent his knees and curled his lips back. Hissing like a threatened snake, his eyes were focused on Alan and Bridget. Fingers flexed, ready to take hold of one of them.

Alan sighed and raised his hands. "Fine. We gave you a chance. If you're going to be an idiot about this…"

He moved fast. Even too fast for the vampire to comprehend. One second he was beside Bridget and she noticed the flinch in his leg before he was in front of Marko's pawn. With a fist tightly curled, he launched it right into the side of the vampire's face. A harsh whack, making Marko's new vampire groan out. He stumbled back from Alan's attack, almost falling over. But he steadied himself in good time before Alan could grab him. He kept his balance, straightening and towering over Alan. His fingers grasped onto Alan's shirt, gathering up the fabric and with a grunt he pushed the younger vampire away. With inhuman strength Alan was thrown back, flying off the ground and into the wall.

Anger snapped in Bridget. With a growl, she ran at the vampire. She easily dodged his swipe, ducking under his arm and turning so she was at the side of him. All it took was a jerk of her knee into his femoral nerve, right in the thigh, and he buckled. A sharp cry escaped from him as he stumbled, falling to his knees.

 _Perfect,_ she thought and wrapped her arm around his neck.

"Alan!" she called, tensing her arm so she could hold onto the writhing vampire.

"We gave you a chance," Alan said to the vampire as he marched up. He glowered down, lips curling up in a sneer. "You're a naïve idiot."

The vampire jerked his body, trying to loosen Bridget's hold. He sneered back, flashing his fangs. He was about to open his mouth wider, ready to argue back and come out with the bullshit Marko had been feeding him, but Alan didn't give him a chance. He struck quick, not wasting any time. His hand shot right through the vampire's chest and the young man's eyes bulged. His mouth was agape, twisting and he gave a short, raspy gasp.

Blood leaked out of the hole Alan had driven into the vampire's chest. His fingers curled around something that was wet and squishy. His nails dug in, emitting a cry from the vampire and, with a growl, he yanked his hand back. His hand was coated in blood. It ran down his hand in red trails as he held it up, trickling down his sleeve. The vampire went limp in Bridget's grip and she let go, watching him sink to the floor. Straight away, the young man's skin went grey, cracking and crumbling into dust until only clothes were left. The heart in Alan's hand did the same. A grey coating seemed to envelope the heart before, like the body, slipped through his fingers as ash.

There was a moment's silence, the only sound around them was Bridget's heavy breathing. Until she finally let out a laugh, running her hands through her hair.

Memories of previous hunts raced through her mind. The adrenaline that came with it, pumping through her veins. The terror and thrill mixing together in an addictive potion through her. Fighting and seeing the final moments of their targeted vampire, knowing in that second they had won another battle and would live to see another night. She laughed again, eyes on Alan who shared her grin.

"Just like old times, huh?" He laughed, reaching for her hand and pulled her close. Another flash of a grin before his lips were on her forehead and he had an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"No-one standing a chance against us," she said, smiling and kissed him. She felt the rumble of a growl at the taste of the girl's blood still on his lips. There was a tiny pang of hunger but not as bad as it would have been if she hadn't tasted any fresh blood at all. It reminded her of what she craved the most at the moment. After having a sample and fighting alongside Alan, like old times, she felt alive and restless. Desperate to enjoy every second of the night before her.

She smiled against his lips, pulling away to hover over them for a few seconds. "I could get used to this," she whispered.

"Yeah?" Alan's eyebrow quirked up.

"Yeah."

"What about them? Bonnie, Edgar and Sam?"

She sighed. "I miss how things used to be. All of us together. But some of us changed. It wasn't our choice but it happened and we're vampires. Something that they can't help but be scared of. They're scared of me. And I hate being seen as a monster in their eyes no matter what I do. I want to get away from that."

As she spoke he had begun to stroke the strands of her hair, playing with the tips in his fingers. "I'm going to be there with you. And Bernice. We'll be fine."

"I know." She took in a deep breath. "Okay, I'll do it. I've made up my mind."

"You're okay about this?"

She nodded, licking her lips nervously. "I don't know about okay. But I need to decide something before I go crazy. Dying or killing you aren't options I want so I'll feed. I'm choosing you and Bernice."

He kissed her, hands reaching up to cup her cheeks. A weight seem lifted off her shoulders. That choice where she was going to be with two people she cared about and free from all the mental torment and pain she had been going through. The vampire inside of her growled eagerly, sensing that she was ready to give in and embrace a new life as it took complete control. Her stomach, however, did churn and she felt a chill down her spine thinking about what Edgar, Sam and Bonnie would do when they found out. She didn't want to be hunted by her friends but she didn't want any more deaths. Alan and Bernice had been forced away from her and this was a chance to keep them in her life.

"I've got your back," he whispered against her lips.

"You've always had," she said.

Her decision was completely forgotten about when she heard the piercing screech and her gut flipped with dread. An instinct that she had no idea where it had come from but she knew something was wrong.

Someone was in trouble.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review if you wish to. The holidays are here and I'm going away to visit and spend Christmas with my boyfriend's family. I'll be back before New Year so I'll post Chapter 19 on the 29th December. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Have lots of fun! (And food!) =D**


	20. Chapter 19

**Thank you to GlassMasquerade for reviewing! :)**

 **RIP to Brooke McCarter who sadly passed away on December 22nd.**

* * *

Feeding vampires were always too wrapped up in their indulgences. Too focused on the blood they greedily drank up to notice anyone lurking nearby. Along with the day when they slept, it was one of their weakest moments. Easy to target. Unless the vampire hunter was too slow and the vampire finished feeding. The best thing to do in that scenario would be to run. Injure the leech and concentrate on getting out. They were always too strong after the kill.

Bridget and Alan didn't even notice Blake at the end of the alleyway, peering around the corner with his top lip curled in disgust. The half vampire he was supposed to be helping was latched onto a girl's throat. After coming across the vampires, he watched silently as he waited for Bridget's decision. Was she going for the kill or not?

It was slightly confusing. She seemed hesitant at first but soon took that step forward. Her movements were stiff as if she was still trying to hold herself back but clearly failing. Yet after she began drinking, she broke away. Blake observed as she refused to go any further.

It was disgusting to see a vampire feed.

It made his stomach churn more at the sight of a half vampire allowing the death of an innocent human. Letting that fully transformed leech touch her afterwards. Then he sighed. Edgar and Bonnie wouldn't be happy to hear what Bridget's latest experiment was. Partially drinking a human's blood. She was too close to crossing that line between human and vampire. Closer than her friends knew. She either had to be killed now, before she could take her first human life or she needed those connections out of her life. Bernice and Alan. Either she had to die quickly or they did.

He stalked away, turning on his heel and moving further down the street. Towards the next alley. None of the vampires had showed up for the night's hunt. They had to be all together, trying to coax Bridget into feeding. Now he needed to find them.

As he got closer to the alley, he heard muffled whimpers. With his fingers gripped onto his stake, he quickened his pace. There was a cry now. A gurgle and a horrible animal-like growl following. Blake gave one glance around to make sure he wasn't being followed or noticed before darting around the corner. He stayed near the wall, eyes on the figures almost enveloped in the shadows of the poorly lit alley. It was a female vampire. He could tell by the gentle waves of blonde hair and loose mini skirt. She had a boy in her grasp, face buried into his neck and down on the ground around him were drops of blood, creating a small pool of dark red liquid.

Blake crept over, stake ready and aimed. His eyes were fixed on her, a sneer on his lips at the feeding vampire. That boy would have come to the club tonight to have a good time. The club was near the university campus which meant he was likely to be a student. A college boy who could have been going somewhere. Heading for a good education and career.

From the amount of blood on the ground and how the boy hung limply, being kept up by the vampire, he was already gone. Dead. Another victim for the supernatural monsters of Santa Carla. Blake straightened, mentally deciding his first attack, and faced the vampire who turned around.

 _My lucky night,_ Blake thought. He recognised the wavy blonde hair, flicking out at the ends to frame an oval, pale face. With bright blue eyes, that face could have been sweet and gentle. Unfortunately the mess of blood around the vampire's lips, dripping off her chin and down onto her top, ruined the angelic look she normally had. He glanced down at the boy. Already a grey tint to his skin and lying in a pool of his own blood. Left arm bent awkwardly back.

"Bet you didn't need to do much to lure him out," Blake said to her. He kept his voice quiet and low.

Bernice took a quick glimpse down at the corpse and shrugged. "He liked what he saw. So I used it."

"You were a popular girl at school. Bonnie told me how nice you were to everyone. Too nice."

"Yeah, I was. I don't feel like I've changed that much though. Don't my old friends think I'm still their Bernice?"

"Sorry, leech. You're a vampire. Automatically a monster."

"I'm a monster very willing to help you all out. I saved my sister, you know. Did they tell you that?"

"You saved her by turning her into a bloodsucker. I've just seen her feeding!"

"You all told her there was no other cure. She doesn't need you guys anymore. She'll have me and Alan. We'll take care of her now."

Blake sighed and took a step forward. Bernice eyed the weapon in his hand, watched how he slowly shifted into a fighting stance. Her blue eyes narrowed. Hardened. She set her glower on Blake and pulled her top lip back to reveal blood stained fangs.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I know this was forced on you. You wouldn't have ever chosen to be a vampire. But you're one of them now and you're mind is corrupted. The best thing to do would be to give you some peace and help Bridget become human."

"If you kill me, it wouldn't be my pack you would have to worry about the most. It'd be my sister."

"Then I make sure I'll get on with killing Alan. Problem solved."

"You said she fed."

"She had a taste. She still won't kill. But she's close though. So you can see why I'm doing this. You would be agreeing with me if you were still a vampire hunter."

"I know. I would. But I'm not a hunter now. Well, I'm not that kind of hunter anymore."

"Don't take this personally. This is just a job," Blake said and lunged. Bernice had been too busy replying to him that he took the opportunity to move forward and kick. He got her right in the shin, hearing her cry as her legs buckled and couldn't hold up the rest of her body. But she flew up as he lunged again, doing a forward roll in the air before landed on her feet behind him. She hissed, showing off her fangs like that would persuade him to back away. Just like a threatened snake, warning the opponent off.

"You've got involved in something you should have stayed out of," she snapped at him. "This is none of your business. We didn't do anything to you!"

"I bet those vampires you killed thought the same thing when you were human. See how things get twisted when you become a vampire? You don't think like you used to."

Bernice took the next move. She grabbed both of his arms, fingers digging into his wrists through the material of his jacket. He felt the sharp points of her nails pressing down and he gritted his teeth. He was losing all feeling in his hand and the stake soon slipped from his fingers. He heard the clatter of it as it hit the ground and Bernice kicked it away.

"I know I still don't appreciate being threatened and attacked," she said and threw him backwards. For a second he was flying, until his back thudded against the ground and he skidded across the rough path.

 _New weapon_ , he thought and dug into his inside jacket pocket. His fingers brushed against a needle-like point and took the syringe out, slipping it just under his sleeve. Footsteps marched towards him, followed by a deep growl.

"Did Edgar, Bonnie and Sam ask you to do this? They know the rules. They don't touch us and we don't touch them."

"I'm only doing what they're too chicken shit to do," he muttered, knowing she would have been able to pick up his words with her hearing. "Sorry, this has to be done."

When she reached him, hand outstretched to grab him, he took action. His own hand clamped around her wrist and he yanked her forward, shifting himself so he was on his knees. The sudden pull caught her off balance and she stumbled towards him. His other hand tightened on the syringe. He lunged forward and the needle pierced right into her collarbone. She gasped, eyes shutting at the brief sting and shouted out in protest when Blake pressed his thumb down on the plunger.

He was caught by her arm as she jerked away abruptly. The back of her palm hit the side of his face and he toppled to the side, hand covering his stinging cheek.

Bernice's screams echoed through the backstreet and he jumped up. She had snatched the syringe out from her neck, tossing it aside into a pile of rubbish. But that wasn't going to stop anything. The Holy Water that he had filled the syringe up with was now running through her veins and burning her from the inside. She choked, hands flying up to her throat as she gasped. Her eyes were wide, blinking as she caught Blake's eyes before there was a tiny glistening in both and a tear trickled out of the corner of her right one.

"You…"

"I'm sorry. But you shouldn't be like this. And you shouldn't be influencing your sister. This will help both of you."

"She'll hate… you… for this…" she whispered in between raspy wheezes before sinking to the ground. Blake turned, taking out his next two items out for the plan. A flask with vodka in and a lighter. He dashed over to the corpse of the young man and briefly closed his eyes to mutter an apology. Opening the flask, he doused the whole body in vodka before flicking his lighter. There was no time to hesitate as he bent down, carefully holding the lighter near the alcohol drenched corpse and watched the flames snap into appearance, eagerly covering the student in dancing flames.

He could hear footsteps running towards the scene. He expected it to be Bridget and Alan, knowing they would have picked up Bernice's screams if they were nearby but he still had to be careful. He darted to the wall, trying to blend into the darkness and brought his scarf back up to cover his mouth and nose. The last thing he wanted was another night in a cell.

But the shrill female scream and cry of Bernice's name confirmed Bridget's presence. Blake moved forward, pulling the scarf down and going straight towards Bridget, hands out to stop her from going forward.

"No, you don't need to see this," he said. "Bridget, I'm sorry! I was too late!"

" _What happened? What the fuck happened?_ " Bridget wrenched herself from Blake's grip. She easily pulled herself free, even making Blake stumble back from the force.

 _Definitely stronger,_ he thought and watched her run over to Bernice.

Bridget almost skidded to a halt as she came to her sister's body. Her whole body felt enveloped in a paralysing ice cocoon. Her mouth hung open, a wail escaping as she lifted her hands to her mouth. She gazed down at the still corpse of her sister. Bernice's cracked lips were parted, showing off the fangs while her skin continued to dry up. Her skin had already turned grey and leathery. Dried and gaunt.

"No," Bridget moaned, dropping to her knees. The tears were blurring her vision, wetting her cheeks. As she curled a strand of coarse blonde hair around her finger, she released loud sobs. Her shoulders shook from each weep of anguish.

Blake felt hands grab his shirt and he was forced to stare into the glowing amber eyes of Alan.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, snarling out his words.

"There was another vampire," Blake said, keeping his eyes glued on Alan's. "I'm sorry, I was too late for her."

"Why don't I believe you?" Alan asked, sneering into his face. "Bernice is dead and _you're_ in this very location as well?"

"Believe me or don't. But I have a body burning right there. I'm not an idiot. I know about the alliance. Why would I risk the lives of Bonnie, Edgar and Sam? They're good people."

Alan glanced at the corpse on fire before letting go of Blake with a snarl. In seconds he was by Bridget's side, arms wrapped around her as he tried to pull her up.

"No!" She wriggled free, throwing herself down to hold Bernice. "No, I can't leave her!"

She sobbed again, long howling cries. Inside it felt like she had crumbled. A part of her that belonged to Bernice torn to pieces in a merciless kill. She couldn't quite grasp what that meant. That her sister would no longer be around. She couldn't make sense of her sister lying there dead.

 _Dead,_ she thought, silencing her sobs. Her eyes narrowed and she quizzically gazed down at Bernice, taking a few seconds to study the body. Then her gaze hardened, her teeth lengthening into those long, needle-sharp points. Amber replaced the blue of her eyes, heated and furious. She stood, head whipping to the side to see the other burning corpse before she turned on Blake.

"That was a vampire?" she asked, suddenly right in front of him. Her voice was dangerously low, followed by a rumbling growl as she kept her fangs showing.

Blake nodded. "I was on a hunt and I heard fighting. Some vampire guy and Bernice. He had something in his hand. Like a syringe? I saw him stick something in her neck and that happened." He gave a nod of his head in the direction of Bernice. "I managed to fight the vampire off. Burnt him alive. Bridget… I didn't kill your sister. That would be putting Edgar, Sam and Bonnie in danger. I'm not stupid. If you knew anything about my past, you'd know I wouldn't put myself or others in danger like that."

Bridget used her fangs to chew at her bottom lip. Her shoulders shook and she looked at the burning body. By now it was completely crisp. Unrecognisable. She couldn't make out any features. Then her eyes traced back to her sister. Straight away, something tugged at her heart, desperate to rip out more chunks and she felt the wetness at her eyes again.

"Marko?" she asked, looking at Alan and Blake.

"Possibly," Alan said but his eyes narrowed at Blake. But how could he prove it? Blake kept a steady gaze before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Look, we need to sort this out. Make sure the bodies aren't recognisable. And I need to tell Edgar what's happened."

"Go," Alan said. "We'll sort it out."

Blake turned, halted by Alan calling his name and he glanced back.

"I wouldn't kill you straight away. Just so you know," Alan said quietly.

There was no response from the hunter. Just a roll of his eyes as he proceeded to leave the scene. Alan turned his back on the young man, gazing at Bridget who sat at Bernice's side again. She had her sister's wrinkled, dried up hand in her own. He walked up to her and sank to his knees.

"We have to sort out the bodies," he whispered.

"Alan…" She squeezed her eyes shut, taking in a sharp breath. "What do I do? I don't know what to do without her. That's my sister."

"You'll find whoever was behind this and rip their goddamn heart out," he said, his eyes still blazing. Slowly his expression softened and he reached for her hand, squeezing it once. "Hey. Whoever did this will pay. I promise."

" _What the fuck_?"

Alan and Bridget looked up to see Ruby dashing towards them. She halted, hands flying up to her mouth as she saw Bernice's dead body. They soon dropped as she snarled and bared her teeth.

"Who did this?"

Alan nodded to the burning corpse. "Apparently a vampire. Blake was here –."

"That vampire hunter? I bet he fucking did this!"

"We have no proof," Alan said. "But we've just been attacked by one of Marko's pawns. It's just as likely there was another one of his little minions. I just can't tell from the body. It's too burnt now."

Ruby hissed quietly. "I felt it. I could feel her death and I heard her voice. Bridget…"

She stopped when Bridget turned to face her, eyes puffy from crying. For once, Ruby gazed back solemnly. Those red lips that were usually upturned in a smirk frowned at her and she shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry. Oh, honey, I am so sorry."

"Her killer will be sorry," Bridget whispered before, in a flash, she was gone from their sight. Alan spun around, hearing the sounds of flapping wings and screeches but she had moved too fast to see which direction she had gone in.

"Bridget!" he called. At the same time, he tugged on that mental connection. Trying to pinpoint where she was exactly. He pressed further into her mind, calling her name.

 _Just give me some time alone,_ was all he received back from her.

"Shit," he hissed.

"Let her deal. Look, I'll go find her. Can you sort these bodies out before someone comes?" Ruby said. She gazed down at Bernice's corpse and a tear squeezed its way out of the corner of her left eye. "Blake or Marko… whoever it was will be begging for us to spare them."

She gave Alan a sharp nod, one that he returned and he watched her take to the sky, shooting up before zipping away into the clouds above. When he was alone, he turned back to Bernice's body. Lying there like a thousand year old mummy. Her skin was sunken, highlighting the bones of her skeleton underneath. Pieces of blonde hair had begun to fall out. Long strands that were once silky and curled into gentle waves. Her clothes suddenly looked too big for her, baggy over the thin, skeletal frame she now had.

It was Bernice. He may not have known her very well until the events of last summer but he knew her. He had met her through Bonnie. The two girls, along with Bridget, were inseparable and there had been occasions when he had been present as they hung out. She had always been nice to him. An older sister to everyone who wanted to see everyone happy. One of the rare people that had actually treated human Alan decently.

And now he had to cover up her death to avoid exposure.

He sighed. If there was anyone that didn't deserve any of this it was her. She was too gentle. Probably even too gentle for a vampire.

"I'm sorry," he said, taking out a lighter from his pocket and flicking a spark up.

* * *

Bridget hadn't been sure where she was flying too until she came across her old neighbourhood. She dipped down, straightening her body to land on two feet. She had landed on the pavement, opposite her house and backed up until she was in the shadows of one of the tall trees planted down her street. There was a light on. The light in the living room. Behind the curtains she could see the shadows of two adults walking about and knew it would be her parents. They were up so late and she wondered how much sleep they had had since her and Bernice 'disappeared'.

 _Bernice,_ she thought and felt that awful tug on her heart again. The painful squeeze as if someone had stuck their hand right through her chest and was trying to pull it out. Her lips faltered, pressing tightly together to keep the sobs back.

Then came another heart wrenching tug when she caught their murmurs.

"They're not coming back, are they?" her mother whispered to her father.

"The police –."

"Aren't doing anything. We haven't seen them since Bridget disappeared too."

"They have to be searching."

Mrs Teahan sobbed. "They're not. We live in Santa Carla. When someone disappears –."

It was Mr Teahan's turn to sob. "Please don't say it."

Her mother's voice cracked. "Our little girls are dead. We're never going to see them again." There was a defeated sigh. "I want to leave this town."

"You want to move?"

"Yes. I can't live here with all these memories."

 _They're going to move,_ she thought and clenched her fists. _They know we're gone for good so they're going to move. There's nothing left._

She didn't blame her parents. This was Santa Carla. Disappeared was just another way of saying dead in her fucked up town. Her parents had lost all hope already and they wanted to get away from the painful memories.

 _Wise choice._

She didn't glance back when she heard the wind picking up and the familiar screech. The vampire landed behind her and she caught a whiff of a spicy perfume. Ruby's favourite scent.

"Hey," the vampire greeted quietly and she folded her arms. "Alan gave me the heads up. He felt you coming here."

"They're leaving," Bridget said. "My mom wants to move."

"You've been gone for two weeks," Ruby said. "No offence but that's quick to give up."

"When you've disappeared in Santa Carla, you never come back. You're a goner. I guess with both of us gone they can't deal with being in that house." She sighed, folding her arms across her chest and hugging herself. "Sounds like a good plan. Running away from the pain. Leaving it all behind."

Bridget sniffed before she yanked the hood up on her jacket and turned to walk away. Soft wind blew at strands of tousled hair but she kept her eyes on the path in front of her, staring at nothing in particular as she walked. Ruby caught up easily, walking beside her in silence.

"I mean, what's the point?" Bridget whispered as the girls continued walking. "What's the point in trying to fight for humanity when there's nothing left for me? My sister's dead. Actually dead this time. And my parents are getting ready to leave. Who knows when I'll come across another lead for a cure? They'll be gone before I'll find a way to return human."

"I didn't want the pain," Ruby said, almost a whisper too but Bridget caught every word and glanced at the full vampire curiously. "I wanted to run from it too. I just didn't know there was another option for me."

"What happened to you?" Bridget asked, slowing her pace.

Ruby sighed, her dark eyebrows furrowing. "It's been so long. Most of my human life seems like a dream. But I do know I was committing suicide when Logan found me. I had too much to drink, too much Dutch courage and I was prepared to throw myself off a cliff back home in Dover. Just plummet to my death. My younger sister had just died of cancer, you see. I didn't want to live in a world without her."

Bridget opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. She couldn't even figure out what to say.

"Logan saved me. He caught me when I fell and offered to give me a way out without dying. I took it with no hesitation. I felt so empty. Like something was missing and I knew it was gone forever."

Bridget nodded. That emptiness Ruby claimed she had sounded like the emptiness she felt now. Those little parts of her that felt like they were missing. Small pieces that left a hollowness inside, unable to return.

"Logan gave me the chance to have a new life. So I accepted. I've never looked back," Ruby finished before dipping her head. "Some vampires you find were evil dicks as humans. They relished the thought of being a killer and that's why they turned. But some of us were only given the chance to live a different life. The only catch is we have to feed on fresh blood to survive. So you just have to think. Can you accept it or is it too much?"

She quirked an eyebrow up at Bridget, the corners of her lip tugging into a small smirk. Not Ruby's usual toothy grin that made her grey eyes shine with wickedness. But it was almost like the vampire's usual leer. When everything seemed like a joke to her.

"I see you tasted blood. You're still half but you had a sample didn't you? How did it feel?"

Bridget touched the drying blood on her lips. She remembered the warm, thirst quenching taste of the girl's blood. It filled her up with energy. Life that she absorbed into her own body and she could feel the adrenaline pumping around. Complete strength that was hers now.

"A relief. I've been starving and dying of thirst and it was finally going away." She closed her eyes, sighing. "I'm so tired. Of everything. Of losing people and being hungry and…"

She broke off, swearing out loud. A fierce growl escaped as she turned and kicked at a garden wall, causing the brick to crack and crumble from the force.

"I am so _fucking fed up_ of being screwed around. I just wanna…" She backed up from the wall, fists clenching as she gritted her teeth, baring them as she glared ahead. Her eyes were yellow fire, burning with a malice she had been trying to lock up and keep hidden. But the rage was bubbling up. Igniting and making her see red. The threads of her human self, that tried its best to stay composed and in control, were unravelling. Losing strength to be replaced by that monster inside of her, clawing its way up to the surface so it could burst free in a murderous rage.

"Bridget?" Ruby took a step closer when the half vampire had fallen into silence. Bridget breathed heavily, shoulders moving up and down as she stood still.

"There's something I have to do," Bridget whispered before she flew off again. Ruby rolled her eyes, exhaling out through her nose before she followed suit.

 _I am not going to be chasing you around the whole of Santa Carla,_ she thought, speeding up until she was at Bridget's side. The half vampire kept her eyes in front of her, her jaw set and eyes narrowed as she continued to soar through the clouds in determination.

"What are you up to?" Ruby asked and her eyes widened at the hunger flash in Bridget's eyes. "Fuck me, you're going to do it. Aren't you?"

Bridget didn't reply, instead suddenly looking down and she dropped. With her hearing she had picked up raucous laughter. Two delicious scents that brought her hunger back and a growl rumbled in her throat. Ruby followed, catching the two scents Bridget had and, with a small chuckle, she headed towards the ground.

The two vampires landed on the corner, immediately darting to the shadows of a tree. They were completely covered, blending perfectly into the darkness with only the glow of their eyes visible. On the beach ahead, settled near the small, grassy hills were two guys. They sat around a campfire, long flames licking up towards the night sky and were surrounded by empty alcohol bottles. Way too much for two guys. Either they had stumbled across a couple of binge drinkers or there had just been a party. Whatever the reason, there were two guys. Early to mid-twenties. Both scruffy with denim cut offs and denim jackets. One had a black t-shirt on underneath but the other showed off his bare chest. Toned, tanned abs that made Ruby nudge Bridget in the side.

 _He's mine._ The words in Bridget's head sounded distant. Almost distorted but she knew she had heard Ruby speaking in her mind, trying to push through that faint connection.

Bridget nodded, glancing at the one that was left for her. The one with the t-shirt. He had brown hair down to his shoulders. It was slightly greasy at the roots and he beamed widely at his friend with a cigarette dangling lazily from his thin lips. He muttered something, eyelids fluttering as he spoke. Whatever he had tried to come out with it sounded slurred and unintelligible. But somehow his friend managed to understand because he started giggling. Incredibly high pitched and nearly toppled sideways into the sand.

"Where the bitches go?" the one with the t-shirt asked, looking around. Bridget felt a smirk playing on her lips.

"Fuckin' frigid," his friend slurred. "Went off…" And so did his voice as he reverted to babbling incoherently again.

"Well, looks like they didn't get to have some fun," Ruby whispered to Bridget and flashed the half vampire a grin. She tossed her black hair behind her and pulled her crop top down to accent her chest more. She did a check over at Bridget with a small hum before tugging at her hoodie.

"Lose it. You look like a homeless tramp."

Bridget hissed, jerking away. "I also look like I've been feeding. You might want to go play but I don't. He'll be dead in seconds. I don't like to mess around."

"I'll teach you some skills," Ruby said with a wink. "Watch and learn, lil sis."

She gracefully moved forward, straightening her back and striding along to the two young men. She laughed when they began wolf whistling and she turned, beckoning Bridget to step out.

 _You can't do this,_ a small voice whispered. That last little human part of her who was about to locked away for good. It wasn't disappearing without a good fight.

 _Why not?_

 _You're a vampire hunter._

 _I'm a monster._

 _You've been fighting all this time._

 _I've been fighting for a life I can only get if I kill the ones I love. I've been this way for too long. It's too late._

 _No!_

"Yes," Bridget hissed to herself, marching over as the young men called for her to come out. They laughed, bright smiles on their faces at the hopes of two new girls coming to give them what they wanted. What they thought they had missed out on. But as she stepped closer, the young men had a better view of her. Their expressions faded. Bridget imagined what they must have seen. A girl of average height with a thin, hauntingly pale face, hidden under a baggy camouflage jacket and torn, dirty jeans. Blood all over her mouth and chin. The only colour on her ghostly white face. Her hair was a tangled mess, hanging down limply. She stared calmly back at the young men, poker-faced and began to let her face change.

"You're going too fast," Ruby hissed at her.

"I'm hungry. And I'm impatient."

Her top lip curled back from her teeth, hissing at the young men as her teeth lengthened. She felt the brief pain of her bones shifting and cracking underneath her skin, revealing what her human mask had been hiding. The young men screamed, stumbling back into each and both landed on the sand. Granules flew about as they flailed their arms and legs in an attempt to scramble away.

Ruby sighed, reaching for the victim she had chosen. Her hand clamped down on the man's wrist and with a jerk, she pulled him closer before pushing him to sit down.

"I'm never hunting with you again if you're going to ruin the fun," Ruby said with a small pout on her demonic face. Still, she slowly eased herself onto the young man's lap and ran a long fingernail down his cheek. Tears had begun to wet his face.

"Ssh, this is going to be over soon. Shame though. I was hoping to have lots of fun," she whispered and with a cheeky grin, planted a kiss on his cheek. Her tongue flicked out and she traced the tip of it along a vein on his throat. "You can scream if you want. I _always_ encourage screaming."

She cackled at the whimpering he started to make and she looked over at Bridget. While she had been playing and building up the fear in the trembling human, Bridget was slowly advancing on the one left for her. His movements were clumsy, uncoordinated from the all the alcohol buzzing around in his system.

"I haven' done anyfing," he yelled, slurring. "Pleashe!"

Bridget growled, taking hold of his jacket and pushed him back. He groaned out, his head hitting the rocks behind him. She pounced, landing perfectly on top of him. Her legs straddled his waist and she hissed. He screamed just as her eyes locked onto a vein on his throat. A faint blue line that thumped with blood. His heartbeat raced against his chest and Bridget paused to inhale his scent through her nose. The thumps of his pulse drummed in her ears, blocking out any other noise as she fell into a trance. All she could think about was his blood. Warm, fresh, full of life. Somewhere, deep inside, that human Bridget screeched at her to stop. To think and change her mind. One last desperate attempt to win. But there was a vampire fully in control of her now and it was stronger than it had ever been. It was vicious and overpowering. A little snake whispering in her ear and tempting her.

It didn't seem so bad starting a new life with it. There was nothing left in her human life to keep her going. Her sister was dead. Her parents were moving away. Her friends saw her as a monster already.

Why fight what people already saw her as?

She opened her mouth, fangs still bared and, with a reptilian hiss, she lunged for the young man's neck. Her teeth pierced the skin, sinking down and warm, thick blood trickled into her mouth. This time she would have every last drop. The more she drank, the easier it was to keep the human's hands pinned down. The mental screaming from her human self was fainter now. Weak. It echoed pathetically, still begging for her to turn back until, finally, there was not a single sound and the heart beat that had been frantically pounding away had ceased. Not a single drumming and Bridget slowly lifted up her head, mouth parted as blood trickled down the corners of her mouth. Heavy drops off her chin.

He was dead.

She tilted her head, gazing down at the dead body. It shouldn't have been an unusual sight. As a vampire hunter and being with the other vampires she had seen plenty of corpses. But this was the first one she had seen that was a result of her. The boy had lost the colour in his face. What had once been olive was now as white as her skin but with a greyish tint. His eyes were blank, losing all light and there was now a blue hue on his lips.

"Don't think about him," Ruby said, standing up from her kill. She brushed her thumb against her lips, licking off the blood. Her eyes shut briefly as a hum escaped, revelling in the taste of her victim once more. "You've made the kill. Now we need to cover up. The ocean's a good place to drop them."

She laughed, walking towards Bridget who stood up, still staring down at the corpse. One of Ruby's arm swung over her shoulder and she beamed. "You're a full vampire now. Welcome to the pack, kid sister. How do you feel?"

Bridget licked at her lips. Her features slowly changed back into her human mask. A small yet slightly pointed chin. Thin nose. Lips tugged down into a permanent frown. If it wasn't for the blood around her lips, she would have looked completely human. Paler than a human should be but human. Now it simply covered what she really was now. Her eyes turned to Ruby, cold and blank. No sign of regret that she had just taken the life of a young human.

"Free," she said. "I feel free."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. :) Please feel free to leave a review. Chapter 20 will be uploaded on Saturday. Have a Happy New Year!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Huge thanks to Silverheels12 and booklover425 for reviewing!  
**

 **Hope everyone had a fantastic new year!**

* * *

Logan and Adam had joined Alan near the campus, already diving into getting rid of the bodies. They cleaned and burned away any evidence that could have exposed them and proceeded to fly the bodies out to the Redwoods to bury.

When it came to moving Bernice into one of the graves, Logan had walked away, swearing to himself and now leaned against a tree in silence. Alan had to pause as Adam helped him pick her up, hesitating as he looked between her now charred body and the grave. His lips were tightly pressed together, frown lines creasing in his forehead and he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut as he lowered her in.

"She never called any of us for help," Logan muttered. "I could feel her death. Hear her thoughts."

"Think we all did," Alan said, thinking back to earlier. When he had heard the scream with Bridget, he could hear Bernice shrieking in his head. Scattered, almost incoherent thoughts on the agony of her death and her fears for Bridget.

"I didn't hear anything about her killer," he said to Logan who shook his head.

"Neither did I. All she thought about was her sister. How she wouldn't be able to keep looking out for her."

"She was always like that," Alan said, "Always trying to protect Bridget. Making sure she was safe."

After a brief pause at the memories, he sighed again and straightened. He could still picture the times at school when Bernice had to hold her sister back before she snapped. Something Bridget tended to do if she heard the slightest insult towards her friends. She was always ready to give back and Bernice was always ready to drag her away.

"Bernice would have made a loyal pack member," Adam said with a nod of agreement at Alan's description of their newest recruit, now a deceased one. He looked at Alan with steely blue eyes and his thin lips tugged down into a frown. Even covered in soil from digging a grave, he stood straight and brimmed with authority. The same eerie calmness Max had that night he revealed himself as the Head Vampire. A calmness that he never had as "Doctor Mathias".

"I know you didn't want this life," he said to Alan. "I know you were forced in the end and even if you've adapted to being a vampire, you're still not sure if you want to follow me. But we chose you and Bernice, which meant once you're one of us you were guaranteed our protection. We saw you both as new family. I would have never intended your deaths you can be damn well sure her killer will suffer."

Alan only scowled back, wondering if any of this would have happened if the pack hadn't set out to turn some of them. Simply helped Marko get the revenge he desired by agreeing to help kill everyone. Maybe they could have all survived it again together, especially with more of them hunting. Where would everyone be? Charlotte could still be human. Merely Bridget's ex-best friend, secretly pining for Alan behind that shy curtain of pale blonde hair. Bernice and Leon could still be together, fighting against and working around the time consuming schedule of vampire hunting. Mrs Casey would be alive, continuing to be the constant support for Bonnie as she got to grips with MS.

Without vampirism trying to drive them apart, maybe Alan and Bridget would have still discovered their feelings for each other. He knew before this situation had even started that they had been getting closer and closer. He had felt something stir during the Valentine's Day dance, even if he hadn't been sure of it at that moment. Something had sparked the minute they had begun dancing with each other. They could have ended up in a normal, human relationship. Simple. Just how Bridget expected relationships to be. Just how he would have liked it.

All those maybes and possibilities kept holding him back from truly connecting with the pack, even if he admitted they weren't too bad. They pledged loyalty and they hadn't gone back on their word. They looked out from him. For each other. But could he really be one of them?

There were so many paths that he could have been on. But this was the road he was unwillingly going down. He could understand the vampire's point on thinking too much about the 'what ifs?' and how different he had become, detached from humanity. Dwelling on things would send him stir crazy. Forever was a long time to mope and be miserable.

A new start. That was what he needed. To be a vampire and be in a completely different town. Far away from Santa Carla.

"Any news from Bridget?" Logan asked.

"Nothing," Alan said, running a hand through his hair. "The last time something happened to Bernice, Bridget nearly died and became a half vampire. She acts impulsively and something always happens to her. I hope she's controlling her anger."

 _Alan?_

"Shit," he whispered, followed by a sigh of relief at Bridget's voice. He dropped the shovel and hung onto their link.

 _Bridget, you scared the shit out of me when you took off,_ he said to her mentally. He noted how easier it seemed to push through. Their connection seemed to hum and buzz with energy.

 _Are you okay?_ he asked. _Where did you go?_

 _I'm fine. Don't worry, I'm not in trouble. I just… I guess I finally made that decision._

He could sense a tingling of excitement from her. That and their clear link, clearer than it had ever been, sent his mind putting pieces of a puzzle together until the answer was obvious.

 _Bridget, did you…?_

He smiled at the sound of her laugh. It shook, still full of nerves but for the first time in two weeks she sounded strong. Happy.

 _I guess you're stuck with me forever,_ she said. _If you don't mind?_

He laughed, slumping against a tree. _There's no-one else I'd rather spend forever with. Just you._

He heard another laugh from her and he beamed, enjoying that bright sound. If he was human it would have made his heart skip a beat.

 _I want to find Bernice's killer and make him pay,_ she said.

 _It'll be dawn in a few hours. We need to get together and shelter before there's any more trouble. Plan what we're going to do next. Go straight to the house and stay there. I'm with Logan and Adam. We'll come back. I'm just going to pay a quick visit._

 _I can't believe I'm the one saying this. Don't get into trouble._

 _I just need to talk to Edgar._ He cut himself off, tearing away from their mental link and turned to Logan and Adam who stared silently and expectantly from him. Judging by the smirk on Logan's face, he seemed to already know the news Alan had but he gestured for the seventeen year old to reveal all.

"Bridget's turned," Alan said.

Logan laughed, clapping his hands together and marched up to him. "'Bout time that bearcat gave in." He gave another chuckle, slapping Alan on the back before grabbing hold of his shoulders. "At least there's one happy ending, kid. You and the doll you're stuck on finally together."

"Excellent news," Adam said with a small smile. "Bernice would have been delighted."

"She's gone back to the house. I'll meet everyone there."

"I'd rather we all get together. I don't want to see another death," Adam advised him but he only received a scoff from Alan in response.

"I was a vampire hunter before I was a vampire. I know how to look after myself," he said and flew up to the sky before Logan or Adam could argue back. Logan watched Alan disappear before he looked down at Bernice's grave again and felt his shoulders slump. He closed his eyes, mentally apologising as if she could still be able to hear him somehow. He only opened them when he felt a hand on his shoulder and a gentle squeeze.

"You liked her, son," Adam whispered.

"She was interesting. Quite the skirt." He sighed. "I changed her to separate those kids. Cause an argument between Bridget and her friends. But… yeah. Guess I was getting a bit goofy for her."

Adam nodded, patting Logan on the shoulder. "It's done. We can't change what's happened so we need to look forward. Always do otherwise the past haunts us. In our case, that would be forever."

Logan continued to stare down at the grave as he listened to his father's footsteps walk away. Adam0 had taken quite a few steps away before Logan turned, calling out for his dad.

"Do you though? Sometimes think of the past? Do you think of Mom and…" He frowned, trying to rack his brain for his younger sister's name. "Ida?"

"I try not to. I have a new family to look out for now. I still have you and we have Ruby, Alan and Bridget under our wing. That's all I need to look forward. That was always the difference between myself and your Uncle Max. I knew the wise thing to do was keep on going. Max never could quite grasp that. He was desperate for a family, even if that meant risking those boys' lives."

"Guess it ran in the family. Being obsessively desperate for something," Logan muttered, following his father and he thought of Marko. Marko and his obsessive need for revenge and _his_ idea of revenge only. "If Bernice's death was Marko's fault, I'm gonna rip him –."

Adam stopped in his tracks and scowled at his son. "Israel Logan-Mathias, you're going to keep a level head and we'll solve this problem through careful planning. I confronted Marko without any assistance and got my arm broken. If anything happened to you…"

"Dad, okay. Okay. I won't get into a lather about it. Promise." He gave a solemn nod, not daring to flash his usual cocky smirk. His father's scowl and use of his full name meant he was being incredibly serious and did not expect any joking around. And Logan wouldn't.

When his father was serious about something, Logan was too.

* * *

Alan landed on the gravelled path to Sam's house, moving to the shadows of a large tree in Mr Burke's garden. The gravel crunched under his feet and he stared at the house before him. There were a couple of lights on and he heard voices inside. Familiar ones that belonged to three familiar people. Bonnie's low and slightly husky voice. Sam's higher pitched tone that contrasted against Edgar's gruff, puberty-gone-crazy voice. There was no sign of Blake though. Alan couldn't hear him or catch his scent. If he had been present he would have picked up on the older vampire hunter's sardonic, impassive tone and fresh deodorant.

There were footsteps coming towards the front door. A new presence that hadn't been with his brother and former friends previously. But he caught the scent of strong musky cologne and cigarette smoke. There was one person from his human memories with that smell and Alan felt his fist curl up, unlocking all the bad memories he had of that person. If he hadn't just fed for the night, he would have been tempted to use this one as his prey.

Bobby walked out, lighting up a cigarette and he closed the door behind him. Back slightly turned to Alan, he took in a deep inhale of the cigarette, held his breath for a few seconds and slowly exhaled the grey smoke out. He was filthy, his usual sports attire covered in blood and goo and a belt was strapped around his waist. The three pockets attached to it held three stakes.

 _So, vampire hunter Bobby,_ Alan thought and sneered. He stayed silent, eyes locked on the boy who had tormented him throughout school and waited for Bobby to notice he was there. When he didn't, too wrapped up in his cigarette break, Alan stepped out of the shadows to clear his throat and watched Bobby spin around.

Alan couldn't fight back the smirk forming on his face as Bobby turned. The jock stood there with his mouth open, letting his cigarette drop the ground.

"Alan? The fuck…"

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Alan said.

Bobby couldn't help the grimace at Alan's pale look as he stepped closer to examine his former classmate. Alan dressed the same but there were small differences. The ghostly white skin obviously was the first change. But there was also the way Alan stood. Straight, confident. Still. Too still. Like a lion waiting to pounce at its prey. Alan had always been a standoffish boy but his eyes were hard. Cold and glaring.

"Yeah, well, you _were_ supposed to be dead. But you are though, right? Some kind of dead."

"Undead," Alan said with a nod. "And you're a vampire hunter now?" He pointed to the belt around Bobby's waist, noticing that his former peer's hand had instinctively gone to hold the blunt end.

"I'm just helping Imogen. I got no interest in a fight with you," Bobby said.

"It wouldn't be a fight. I'd rip your head off in seconds," Alan whispered and, for effect, let his eyes glow amber. A dangerous smile crept up on his face, showing off the lengthening fangs. He saw Bobby's Adam's apple shake as he gulped and fear spiced up the scent of his already delicious blood. Like melted chocolate with a new richer kick to it thanks to his terror.

"I'm – I'm sure you would. But look, man, I only care about killing that vampire that turned Imogen. I'm not here to fight you. I know about the alliance and what that would mean. I ain't stupid."

"I know," Alan said and made his teeth and eyes return to normal. He laughed, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm just trying to scare you, Denton. I'm here to talk to Edgar. Something's happened that he needs to know about."

The tension in Bobby's shoulders slowly disappeared and he let out a sigh. "Oh, right. Um, he's inside. Follow me," Bobby said and gestured Alan over. He had come down a few steps, further towards the vampire as they had been talking. A stupid move for Bobby but a perfect opportunity for Alan. He lunged, grabbed Bobby's shoulders and pulled him forwards. With a hiss, his fangs extended once again and those sharp teeth dug into Bobby's skin, just above his collarbone. The jock screeched out, scrambling away when Alan released him after a few seconds of drinking up his blood.

At the sound of footsteps, Alan turned to Sam's house and smiled, not bothering to hide his demonic features.

"I can hear you in there, guys," Alan called out, speaking easily around his fangs. "Why don't you come out and talk? I have some questions I want some fucking answers for."

He glanced down at Bobby who stayed on the ground, clutching at his shoulder and crying out every swear word under the sun.

" _You fucking… vampire_!" he shouted.

"Toughen up. That was only a scratch. If you want to really see me as a vampire, I can tear your fucking neck apart!"

Bobby sneered, taking out a stake from his belt. "You're not scaring me, Frog!"

Alan began to advance. "Is that a challenge, _Denton?_ "

"Hey!"

Alan looked up at his brother, smirking as he folded his arms. Edgar stormed down the steps with Bonnie and Sam. Imogen had been in tow until she saw Bobby on the ground. She halted immediately, arms stretched out to help him but she abruptly backed away as her nostrils twitched. She clamped a hand around her mouth and retreated back a couple of steps.

"Was that really necessary?" Edgar growled, keeping his stake raised. "Petty revenge?"

"I just wanted to coax you out to talk," Alan said with a casual shrug. "Make sure you'd talk to me. But that did feel pretty good." He gestured to Bobby with a nod of his head and laughed.

"Were you going to kill him?" his brother asked.

"Nah. I just wanted to scare him. A little payback. Come on, Edgar, chill out. All I've done is give him a small scratch and ruined a pair of trousers."

"Fuck you," Bobby said on the ground, despite his voice cracking and going high pitched.

"What do you want, Alan?" Sam asked.

"Bernice is dead," he snapped and took note of their reactions. Bonnie gasped, hands flying up to her mouth and Sam's arms were around her straight away. It didn't take long before her tears were on show. Edgar was poker-faced as always. Although for a few seconds, his head dipped and his eyes closed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Holy water. Someone got creative and injected her with it. You don't know anything about it?"

"You accusing us? We were on our own hunt, waiting around for _you._ Remember the arrangement for tonight?"

"Blake was conveniently there," Alan said. "Maybe you can't do the job yourself so you get someone else with no attachment to do it for you. I know you too well, Edgar. I'm your brother. And I'm not stupid. I've always been smart."

"No, you've always been academically smart. You're an idiot when it comes to common sense. Remember how you ran off alone that night you got turned? Remember when you and Bridget sneaked out and were taken by those vampires? You ended up giving in to the hunger."

"Is Bridget alright?" Bonnie asked.

Alan sneered. "No. She's far from alright. She feels like she's losing everything she cared for."

Bonnie fumbled with her nail polish, scratching at the paint. "Well… could I see her?"

Edgar turned his head. "Are you crazy? She's on their side!"

"She's my friend!" Bonnie argued back.

"She doesn't want to see any of you," Alan said. He resisted the urge to break the news. That Bridget really was on their side now. How he was desperate to see the shock on their faces. But it was Bridget's news, if she wanted them to know. It was down to her to make the entrance and show them what they had pushed her into becoming.

"You make her feel like a monster," he added.

" _You_ turned her into one," Edgar snapped.

"Guys, Bernice is dead and we're standing here arguing?" Sam kept his arms around Bonnie as she shook to keep the sobs quiet. "Look, Alan, we were all hunting. Trying to find more of Marko's pawns. We had no idea what happened tonight."

"And that's the truth? You didn't have anything to do with Bernice's death?"

"No," Edgar answered brusquely. "We're not the only enemies. Remember? We had a run in with one of Marko's pawns."

"Yeah, we did too," Alan said. "Blake said one of them killed Bernice."

"But you think he's lying," Edgar said.

"I don't trust him."

"I don't trust vampires," Blake said, walking up to the house. "Feeling's mutual, leech."

He took Bobby by the hand, hauling him up and keeping him steady before glancing at Alan. "Where's your bloodsucking girlfriend?"

"Safe. Mourning." Alan felt his upper lip twitch in a sneer.

"So it's just you here?"

"I'm sure you had something to do with Bernice's death. I want the truth."

"All you have are accusations. Do you really want to risk starting a war between us and your pack now? When Marko is still out there? Because if you kill us, simply because of an accusation, you'll be down on numbers for Marko. He's attacking you even though you're vampires. He won't stop because you've killed us." He gestured to himself and the other hunters.

Bobby mumbled that he was fine to stand and hobbled over to Edgar. He still clutched his neck, glaring at Alan as he stumbled past. Imogen whispered an apology before she darted inside and slammed the door shut.

"So maybe you need to go," Edgar snapped. "And we can go back to concentrating on Marko."

"And then what?" Alan asked. "Have you given up on saving Bridget?"

"Not exactly," Blake said quietly and raised a cross. He lunged forward, swinging his arm and as Alan was glancing back at him, it bashed against the side of his head. There was a sickening crack of wood against Alan's temple and he fell down, collapsing in a heap. It didn't push him into darkness but it disorientated him and made his movements and thoughts sluggish. Being a cross, it caused sharp pains throbbing through his head and he groaned, rolling onto his back.

A big mistake when he saw Blake hovering over him with a stake.

"Blake!" Bonnie shouted.

"It has to be done," he heard Edgar growl.

"I don't want to see this!" she yelled back.

Blake brought down the stake down. Alan screamed as it pierced through him.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Chapter 21 will be uploaded next Saturday.**


	22. Chapter 21

**Thank you to Silverheels12, Guest (response below) GlassMasquerade and Kaiyatethesilverwolfdemon for your reviews and pms. :)**

 **Guest: Oh, hun, it's far from over. The storm's a-brewing. ;) Thank you for reviewing.  
**

* * *

Alan's eyes fluttered open, vision blurring at first before they focused on the figure before him. As soon as the recovery started, the healing process kicked in at a rapid rate. His head still stung from being hit with a cross, thumping away in his temple. His t-shirt felt wet from the blood that gushed out from the stake wound. He glanced down, seeing the rip in his shirt and an open wound in his stomach. Right where the stake had pierced through his skin. On his ankles and wrists, he could feel stinging and burning but he couldn't quite focus on discovering and figuring out why.

He could feel tissue frantically working to stitch together. Having just fed, his regeneration skills weren't too slow. But it wasn't fast enough for him if he was to get free before he was truly staked.

Alan sneered at Blake. "You bastard."

He glimpsed around, taking in a dark room with a boarded up window and more dirt on the floor than outside. The only light came from Blake's direction and it moved when he did. Blake took a step forward and lifted the light up, right in Alan's face who hissed at the bright light. He turned his face, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Yeah, you don't particularly like the light, do you? Fucking Leech."

"Edgar put you up to this? You _did_ kill Bernice, didn't you?" Alan tried to move forward, despite being in a weakened state. But he was pulled back, forced to halt and jerk back. When he glanced down he saw he had been tied to a chair. Ropes around his wrists that were drenched in Holy water. The same with the ropes around his ankles. Now he knew why they burned.

He growled, a fierce rumbling before he lowered his head in exhaustion. His entire body felt drained.

"You're going to regret this," he growled. "Even if you do succeed in killing me, you're going to have a very angry pack hunting you down."

 _Bridget._ Alan began pushing for that link. A difficulty when he felt so weak but he strained to find that connection.

"You assume I'm terrified of dying," Blake said, walking back to lean against a wall. "I've seen my parents and fiancée killed by vampires. I haven't spoken to my grandparents in years. There's no-one in my life. So your pack are welcome to come and hunt me down. I'm tired anyway."

Blake looked away, head shaking and, as if to confirm his exhaustion, let out a long sigh.

Alan tried desperately to grab onto his connections. He pushed and searched, trying to reach out but it was like trying to find the end of the rainbow. Chasing after it for ages without an end in sight. But something soon tugged and tingled and he found himself seeping into a mind. Linking up to it and he heard a panicked voice.

 _Alan, where are you?_ Bridget asked. _We couldn't get a hold of you and you've been gone ages._

"If I die making sure an innocent person reverts to humanity and doesn't become a monster like you, I'll die a happy vampire hunter," Blake whispered.

"Now who's assuming?" Alan asked, managing to grin. "Maybe Bridget doesn't want that anymore. Maybe you've driven her to feeding."

"She's not that far gone if she's still holding back. I saw what happened in that street. She only tasted and pulled away before she killed. The girl's got willpower and that's a good enough reason for me to stay determined to help her. You might be getting to her but there are still doubts in her head."

 _That bastard Blake has me in a building somewhere. Trying to kill me so you'll become human,_ Alan said.

 _Doesn't he know?_

 _None of them do. It'll be great if you could try and find us. Give him a surprise. Preferably with me alive and watching the look on his face._

He heard a growl in his head. Felt a heat of anger and it took all his will to supress the laugh he wanted to release. Oh, when Bridget would find them…

 _Describe where you are, s_ he said.

 _Dark… boarded up. It's filthy. Mud and soil on the floor. Everything seems made of wood._

 _Cabin? I know there are a few cabins up in the mountains._

He felt like her mind had wrapped around his, soaking in and clinging on. He kept looking around, trying to take in as much as possible for Bridget to see as well. She would only get glimpses. An instinct in her gut that told her where he could be. But it could be enough for him to be saved in time. Blake seemed to be in no hurry anyway.

"You could have staked me back then. Why didn't you?" he asked, hoping to buy some time.

 _I think I can sense you,_ Bridget said.

 _Hurry._

"Believe me, I intended it. But Bonnie put me off my aim when she ran up and knocked me. The idiotic girl couldn't watch you get staked, despite everything you've done. So I had to take you away. Do it where they wouldn't see or have second thoughts to interrupt."

Alan blinked, mouth parting and for a second he had quick glimpses of memories. Ones where Bonnie stuck up for him. She had always been good at doing that. Especially towards Bobby and Imogen.

But he quickly realised that while she had distracted Blake, she had let him go off with Alan to kill him. He huffed through his nose. She didn't want to see him die but could cope with him being taken away. As long as she didn't have to watch it, Alan's death could happen.

"I suppose Edgar is celebrating as we speak," Alan muttered.

Blake caught Alan's words and scowled. "He is being torn to pieces. You were his brother. A part of him whether you want to remember that or not. Every second of this problem with you as a vampire or Marko announcing war with everyone is eating him away. This has destroyed him."

" _He's_ destroyed? How do you think I felt? Seeing my own brother stop trusting me the minute I found out I'd been given vampire blood? He acted like I was already fully turned." Alan growled, sitting back in the chair. "Even though he wanted to find the Head Vampire he saw me as a monster anyway. It didn't make much difference taking my first kill."

"You just gave up."

"Try fighting when blood is practically shoved in your face. That's what you both can't seem to understand. That thirst. It's consuming and painful. You have no idea how much we suffer."

Blake balanced the stake perfectly between his right palm and the tip of the stake pressing into his left index finger. "I'd kill myself if it was that tempting."

Alan flashed a mocking smile. "I used to say that. Before I was a half. You sort of get a determination not to die. Killing myself would have been the easy way out."

"So you're settled being a vampire?"

"I can learn to live with it. There are perks."

Blake sighed and waved his stake at Alan. "I'm afraid it's time to stop enjoying the perks. This is a job, okay? You would be doing this if you were still a vampire hunter."

"I know," Alan said and tried to move again in his chair. The Holy water on the rope burnt his wrists and he hissed. "Coward. You could have kept me free so we could have at least fought."

"If I wasn't in a rush to revert the vampirism in a half, I would. Your brother's messed about too much. Unlike him, I can get on with it."

 _Bridget,_ Alan thought.

She responded back, _I'm nearly there!_

vVv

Bobby had offered a lift to Edgar and Bonnie for the night. It was a silent ride with Bonnie and Edgar staring out of their windows in the back passenger seats. Bonnie's face was streaked with tears, making her mascara and eyeliner smudge and run down. Now and again she kept looking over at Edgar who sat tense and slightly green. The shadows under his eyes seemed too prominent and there was a hollowness to his cheeks. She could see his cheekbones more clearly defined.

 _He's not eating or sleeping properly,_ she thought. _Will he ever be okay?_

She felt her own stomach churn with a sickening lurch. At this very moment, Alan could be dead. Staked and finally put to rest due to Blake. She knew of the plan. Knew Edgar had asked Blake to kill Bernice and Alan to help Bridget and knew it was going to be done. But she didn't know Blake had decided to go off and start the job already. Tonight Bernice had died and she never even got to say a goodbye. Of course a proper goodbye would have aroused suspicion but just seeing her former best friend for the last time would have sufficed. Now she was gone.

Bonnie felt the tears dripping down again. She thought of Alan. Another best friend to die. With a loud sob she clenched her fists and let her head dip.

"Bonnie?"

She lifted her head to see Imogen looking at her. Imogen wasn't looking to good now. She had the same ghostly white face Bridget had with blue veins showing up. Her hair was limp, losing its shine and she was gaining the same gaunt features Bridget had been getting due to not feeding. She looked ill and exhausted. And concerned. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she reached out a hand to Bonnie's knee.

"I'm sorry about Alan and Bernice," she said.

"This is fucked up," Bobby whispered. He licked his lips, rolling his shoulder where Alan had bitten him and cringed in pain. "I mean, they're still our age…" He trailed off, opening his mouth in a battle to speak but found there were no words whatsoever.

"They didn't deserve it," Imogen said. "Becoming vampires and being staked."

"No," Edgar agreed and sighed. "It was never their fault," he added in a whisper.

"But we'll have Bridget," Bonnie reminded him. "She'll be human again. We've won that at least."

"Are you going to look for Bridget?" Imogen asked.

"I'll do a search when we get home. She might go straight to her family's house," Edgar said.

"Edgar, you need to rest," Bonnie said.

Her friend shook his head in protest. "She'll need to get to safety."

"We could be looking everywhere and we have school tomorrow. I'm sure she'll find us once she's human again – _Edgar._ " She snapped his name when he began to open his mouth to argue once more. She did her best clipped tone, one that could match the Frog brothers' brusque voices and Edgar pressed his lips together. "Please rest. I'm worried about you. I've lost too many friends and if I lost you, I don't know what I'd do. Just, please, go home with us and be safe tonight."

As she had begged with Edgar she had reached over to clasp her hands over his. She gripped them, fingers curling into the back of his hands and she lost that snappish tone, unwillingly replaced with a trembling that came with the reappearance of tears. Edgar's hardened stare softened, frowning at the desperation in her widening green eyes. With a sigh, he nodded and allowed himself to be pulled towards her in a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder, right arm across both shoulders to urge him closer.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Are we focusing on Marko now?" Bobby asked after Bonnie and Edgar had fallen into silence again.

"A hundred per cent. If we can get away with blaming the deaths on Marko's pack, we'll still have Logan and Ruby as allies. Hopefully," Edgar said, straightening. Bonnie took it as a hint to end the hug and she slid back to her side of the car. "Might as well use vampires, even if we are backstabbing them secretly."

Bobby shrugged. "It has to be done, I guess. You had to revert Bridget's half vampirism but you still need stronger pawns."

Bonnie snorted in her seat. "You sound like one of us already."

"No offence but this is only temporary. As soon as the vampires are dead and gone and Imogen's human that is the end of vampire hunting for me."

"Think it'll be easy to go back to that life with this knowledge?" Imogen asked.

"No," Bobby said. "But I value my life too much to become a vampire hunter. I'll be wary but I'm not going to seek out any of this."

"I think I feel the same," Bonnie whispered and glanced at Edgar. "College starts in September and as the years go on, my MS will get worse. There's no point. And I'm tired of it anyway. It just brings death."

Imogen nodded. "College sounds like a great priority."

"I'll always be a hunter," Edgar whispered. "I could never try for a normal life after all of this." He suddenly straightened his back more and cleared his throat. "In fact, once summer is over, I'm leaving."

Bonnie stared at him in bewilderment. "For college? I thought you weren't applying –."

"I haven't. I'm not going to college. I'm going to travel."

"Edgar –."

"I need to do some thinking. And do what I do best. Help people. I'm sure Santa Carla isn't the only undead infested town in America. I'm going to help as much as I can." He met Bonnie's eyes and sighed. "I'll come back. Uncle Gerry says he'll show me the ropes to take over the business someday. The comic shop is the only place I like working anyway. But first, I need to make up for some things."

"You haven't done anything wrong," she said.

Edgar averted his eyes. "I let my brother become a vampire. That's the worst thing I could ever do."

"You need to stop blaming yourself one day," Imogen said as Bobby slowed down the car.

"One day," Edgar whispered and unbuckled his seatbelt when Bobby stopped the car outside his house. "Think you could meet with us tomorrow? Lunch or free period?"

"Behind the bleachers at lunch tomorrow?" Bobby asked with a yawn to follow. "If I'm awake and actually make it in?"

A fist suddenly burst through the driver's window. Shards of glass flew everywhere, hitting at the four teenagers who shielded their eyes and cried out in surprise.

"You won't be making it into school tomorrow," Marko said and he appeared at Bobby's window, leering into the car. "Every single one of you will be maggot food by the end of tonight."

Edgar reached for his stake, yelling at everyone to grab a weapon. He was ready to jump out of the car to start attacking when he saw two glowing eyes staring back at him. An unfamiliar vampire and he wasn't the only one. As Edgar looked around the car he saw at least three other vampires.

"You're all gonna get out of the car and give us your weapons. We're going somewhere to have a little talk," Marko said.

"Like hell," Edgar growled from the back.

Marko sighed and gestured to the houses behind him. "We can easily go kill your families. I can see Bonnie's dad is alone in the house. Edgar, your folks are currently having one hell of an acid trip." He snorted. "Pretty sure I could go in and snap their necks in the time it takes you to get out of the car."

His amusement faded and he leaned further towards the window. "I'll tell you again. Get out of the fucking car and give us your weapons. We're gonna go somewhere and settle the score once and for all."

Three heads turned to Edgar who gritted his teeth together. His fingers automatically grasped onto the stake, wanting to refuse and fight. Agreeing would mean giving in. But then again, his family and Bonnie's were also threatened. Marko wasn't allowing this fight to be kept between them. He was insane and willing enough to take it further. Kill their family members until he got what he wanted.

He inhaled sharply through his nose before nodding. "Just do what he says."

"What?" Imogen shrieked.

Bobby stepped in quickly with his own protests. "No fucking way am I –!"

"He's threatening our families," Edgar snapped. "He'll do it. If we don't do what he wants, he'll march right into those houses and kill our families. He's already killed Bonnie's mom. Don't underestimate what he'll do."

Imogen made a slight whimpering, reaching for Bobby's hand whose nostrils flared. Edgar scowled, mentally demanding he follow his orders. The mouthy, aggressive High School Bobby was slowly stirring. He didn't take orders from anybody, responding to threats with his own and violence. But if he wanted to be vampire hunter Bobby he had to start accepting difficult choices and learn when to back away.

"We'll go out together," Edgar said and reached to open the car door.

The vampires surrounding them snatched their weapons as soon as they stepped out. Imogen huddled up near Bobby, trying not to look at the vampires. She felt stares focused on her and she chewed down on her lower lip.

" _Half freak,"_ someone whispered and she frowned, glancing up but she couldn't pinpoint who had said that. _If_ one of the vampires had said that. She wasn't sure whether she imagined it or one of them really did take offence to her status.

Edgar took a step towards the self-proclaimed leader, keeping the others behind him in a protective stance. He faced Marko with a hardened jaw, trying not to snap at the mere sight of the vampire's smirk.

"So where are we going?" he asked.

The smirk on Marko's face faded. "Where you took away my brothers."

With a nod, the vampires following Marko lunged. Edgar couldn't even turn in time to see what was happening, hearing the shrieks as three of them grabbed Bobby, Imogen and Bonnie. Marko's hand clamped down on Edgar's wrist, twisting it slightly so the younger boy buckled under his grip. He cried out, trying to turn his body so the grip wasn't painful and uncomfortable.

"Think that hurts? Imagine having a stake through your chest," Marko hissed and Edgar cringed, not only from the painful clasp, awkwardly bending his wrist, but from the smell of blood on Marko's breath. "I still have a bone to pick with you, brat. That was a cowardly attack in the cave last summer. Staking me while I was asleep."

"Bet you sleep with one eye open though, fang face."

He heard a growl, rumbling and loud in his ears before he was pushed to the side. There was a slam of something hitting the car and it wasn't until he was sinking into darkness that he realised there was a throbbing pain in the side of his head and something wet trickled down the side of his face. He heard someone screaming his name in the distance but everything was quickly turning black...

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please feel free to leave a review. Chapter 22 will be uploaded next Saturday.**


	23. Chapter 22

**Thank you to GlassMasquerade and guest (response below) for you reviews. :)**

 **Guest: All will be revealed. :) Thank you for reviewing.**

* * *

Bridget tried to hold onto her mental link with Alan as best as she could. It was a strange experience, connecting to someone else's mind and even harder to keep hold of that connection. Something that would need practise in the future. As she flew towards the mountains, she tried to stay in his mind. Using it to push through the dark cloud and see where he was. Sense his exact location.

She had managed to disappear while Logan, Ruby and Adam planned. Escaped out of the window in the house. It was once again an impulsive move that had led her into trouble before but dawn was approaching in a few hours and Alan could be killed any second now. She was not prepared to lose somebody else close to her. This time, she could prevent it. She felt confident enough to. Fresh from feeding and completing her change, she felt like she could hoist up a tree, tearing it away from the roots and throwing it far away. She even flew with a new, rapid speed. One she would have never managed as a half. She would have been too weak to pick up her pace. But now, as she soared, the ground below her was a blur as it changed from open fields to the jungle of trees and narrow paths.

Now in the mountains, Alan's mind was clearer. She felt the grip she had on their link easier to keep hold of.

 _I'm in the mountains,_ she thought to Alan.

 _Yeah, I can sense you better. You're near. Listen out for sounds. My voice or Blake's. You should be able to pick up something._

Seconds after he told her that she heard mutterings. Distant whisperings of two different voices. She halted, straightening up in mid-air and she narrowed her eyes, trying to pinpoint the noises. The mutterings began again, this time to her right. She looked down, seeing a small opening between the tops of the trees, catching the sight of a dark cabin.

She dipped down.

* * *

Alan struggled against his bindings as Blake advanced. He had changed his face, baring his demonic features and fangs like a cornered animal. It was a desperate attempt to stay threatening, hoping that Blake would be warned away.

"You'll regret this," he growled again.

"I told you. I don't care about dying. You'll be giving me peace."

Alan laughed. "We're talking about Logan here. He turned me into a vampire knowing that was the worst fate for a vampire hunter. He won't kill you. He'll fuck with you. Slowly. You'll be begging for death but he won't grant it."

"Whatever his plans are, you won't see them," Blake whispered and raised the stake.

 _Bridget, I'm sorry._

"Blake!"

Alan had been staring at the tip of the stake, waiting for it to pierce through his heart and end his life completely. Thoughts had rushed through his head, ones he wanted Bridget to hear. That he was sorry he was leaving her. That he wouldn't get to spend forever by her side. How she was the only person now that meant everything. He almost laughed in relief when he heard her voice shout the hunter's name and saw her by the doorway. He glanced up to see Blake turning.

She had cleaned up. Not a drop of blood on her and she had changed into new clothes. It was the first time he was seeing her as a full vampire and she almost looked like the old Bridget again. Healthy, not as gaunt and sickly looking anymore. There was a glow about her. Hair that still looked like a tousled mess but shinier. Thicker. Her blue eyes looked paler against her porcelain skin and right now they were wide as they focused on Alan.

"You know it has to be done," Blake told her. "You're nearly one of them. I saw you having a taste earlier."

Alan stayed quiet, quickly noting down that Blake had no idea she had taken the next step so soon after seeing her. He fought back a smirk and nodded at Bridget.

 _He doesn't know you've turned. Use it._

Bridget raised her hands to Blake. "I'm sorry. But I'm so hungry."

"So you have your chance," he said. "It wasn't long ago that you were begging me for a cure. Now you're giving in and sticking with those leeches?"

"Everyone was turning against me," she said. "Edgar kicked me out. Sam and Bonnie are afraid of me. I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"So you give in?"

"Blake," Bridget stepped carefully towards him. Alan could see the clench in her fists. The tension in her shoulders. He didn't have to have a mental connection with her to know she was desperate to attack Blake. To unleash her anger. But she controlled herself, playing the part of a half vampire. She kept that temper at bay and all Alan could do was sit and wait. He glanced at the room, seeing a few cracks in the boarded windows that could allow light to get through but the room overall was almost in pitch black with the only light coming from Blake's torch.

"Blake, I can't lose him," Bridget whispered. "I'm losing too many people all at once. I've lost my friends, my sister… my parents are moving. I can't lose Alan."

"So you're going to go and become a full vampire then? Is that what you want? To be like them and kill innocent people?"

Bridget looked away. Alan watched her frown, biting down on her lower lip. In his head, he caught flashes of her kill. A drunken young man who screamed until he couldn't anymore and every drop of blood had left his body. He smiled sympathetically. Neither of them would lie and say they both wanted to be vampires. Giving into the thirst meant they had lost control of themselves. The humans they used to be. The transformation had been unpleasant, more so since they had been vampire hunters, and there was something that was still unsettling in that first kill. Alan tried not to think much about his kills, especially his first. He had to accept that vampiric instinct to feed and stay alive otherwise he could fall into insanity and misery.

 _It's okay,_ he thought and when she glanced at him, he knew she had heard him. _You had to do it. You should have seen yourself. You were wasting away and there was no other way of becoming human. You didn't want to die yourself._

Blake turned back to Alan, raising the stake again and Alan stared him in the eye. "Trying to turn her against me?"

"She wanted a cure from me," Blake said. "I'm giving her one."

As Blake stepped forward to drive that stake through Alan's heart, Bridget made her move. She lunged forward, reaching Blake before he even put his foot down for his first step. Her hands wrapped around the blunt end of the stake, tugging back that made Blake stumble back.

"Bridget!" he yelled.

She yanked the stake from his hands, tossing it aside. Alan heard the clatter of the wood hitting the floor before rolling off into the shadows of the corner.

Blake shone his light in Bridget's face who brought her hands up, shielding her eyes. "This is your chance to become human again!"

Alan couldn't stop his snickering. He snorted, chuckling as he straightened in his chair. He grinned at the annoyance in Blake's glare, first directed to Bridget but then towards Alan.

Bridget's voice was barely a whisper. When Blake turned to Alan, he also turned the torch to shine in the vampire's face and she was cast into the shadows again. She stood still, falling into silence at first and Alan could see that her face was emotionless. When her eyes began to glow amber, she finally spoke in a hushed, calm voice.

"What if I've already fucked up that chance?" she asked.

Blake didn't respond at first. He kept his gaze on Alan, not even showing any sign of response in his facial features. When her words began to kick in, he took in a sharp breath, looked up the ceiling and pressed his lips together.

"You've already fed," he whispered.

"After we found Bernice," she said. Her tone was unapologetic. Monotonous, without emotion. A typical vampire's voice. "I guess it sent me over the edge. Your plan backfired a little."

"Should have known you'd flip," Blake said and glanced back to sneer at her. "You were already fucked up."

"Watch your mouth," Alan snarled.

"It's the truth though," Blake said, now squarely facing Bridget. "Even as a human or a half vampire you stayed involved with him. Couldn't quite stay away."

"Alan's my best friend. Vampire, half or human I _always_ cared about him. Nothing was ever going to change that." Her yellow eyes met Alan's and a small smile formed on her lips. "I was never going to leave him. Whatever he was."

Her words were the warmth he couldn't get as a vampire. The support and loyalty he felt he lost the minute he was revealed as a half vampire. Despite her fears at first, Bridget did her best to treat him as Alan. Showed him that he meant a lot to her whatever his status was.

And she continued to show she had his back when she suddenly snarled and grabbed Blake. The hunter's feet lifted off the ground and she threw him into the opposite wall. There was a crack of wood followed by a cry and the thump of his body hitting the ground. Still, Blake scrambled up as quickly as he could. He stood, trying to straighten but gasped and bent forward. An arm went across his ribs and he wobbled for balance.

"Bitch," he wheezed as her hand curled around his neck and she pushed him back. His head slammed against the wall behind him.

"You protect the ones you love," she said. "I'm sure you'd agree."

Blake scoffed, eyes rolling once. "Only the ones who deserve it. Your mind's been twisted now you're one of them. They're monsters. You don't protect them."

He lifted his knee up, slamming it into her stomach and she growled, backing away. The pain wasn't intense as it could have been as a human. It was uncomfortable. A slight ache that forced her to pull away and it was followed by his fist to her face. Now that still stung. He had caught her on the jaw and she had fallen sideways, collapsing in a heap on the wooden floorboards.

Blake took another stake out of his belt. He cried out, bringing the pointed tip down towards Bridget but she rolled out of the way. He straightened up as best as he could as she flew to the ceiling, disappearing into the shadows.

"No, don't you dare hide!" he shouted, pressing his hand against his ribs. He tried to breathe in but stopped to groan out and clench his teeth together.

Bridget dropped down onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him backwards. His spine arched and he dropped the stake, desperately clawing at her arms locked around his throat.

"I wasn't hiding," she hissed and jumped down, quickly moving in front of him and shoving him back to the wall. She pinned him there easily with one hand as he leaned his weight towards her. He drooped forward but she kept him standing up.

"I'm not hiding anymore," she told him. "I'm facing it. The monster I am. I'm not running away from this life now and hiding what I was resisting to become."

She glanced back at Alan and grinned. In his chair, Alan flashed his own cruel smirk at Blake. An arrogant quirk of his eyebrow, knowing that they were both about to win.

"You did say you were fine with dying," he said to Blake who sneered in response.

"I'm not the only vampire hunter out there. Someone will manage to kill you both. Hopefully Edgar will stop being a wuss and finally do his job. I'd like it to be him." He laughed and leered in Bridget's face when she turned back to him. "I'll see you two fuckers in hell someday."

With fangs bared, she hissed at him. A piercing snake-like hiss and she struck his throat, catching his jaw and knocking it back with her head as her teeth pierced his flesh. A scream erupted from him, jolts of agony through his whole body as his blood was sucked up. But she pulled away quickly, blood dripping from her lips and fangs as she faced him. He shook, already looked an unhealthy pallid colour. Sweat gathered on his forehead, glistening and drops fell down the sides of his face.

"I've fed tonight," she said. "You're going to help fix that nasty stake wound you gave my boyfriend."

Grabbing a fistful of hair, she pulled him away from the wall and threw him to the ground. He groaned, trying to push himself up. His arms trembled under his weight and he fell, sprawled across the floorboards.

Bridget walked over to Alan and reached for the ropes.

"Careful. Holy water," he said.

She flinched as she touched the ropes, feeling the damp, rough material burn at her palms. She gritted her teeth together and pulled, breaking his bindings and freeing him in seconds. When his legs were free, he fell off his chair, hand pressed against his stomach wound. Blake had rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling until Alan landed on the floor near him. He lifted his head to stare at Alan, achieving one last look of hatred and disgust.

Bridget helped Alan to his knees, steadying him as he tried to get his balance. His features had already changed, the thirst in his throat burning at the blood that trickled out of Blake's throat. Alan didn't care for any final words. Any final gloating. The wound had weakened him and he was desperate to heal and gain his strength. He growled. Lunged. Fangs dug into Blake's skin, creating new puncture wounds and he drank up the hunter's blood as fast as he could manage.

Bridget pressed herself against the wall as she watched Alan drain the life from Blake. He had let his head fall back, dark eyes finding Bridget. They were blurry from tears. Pained. Accusing. She bit down on her lower lip, tasting Blake's blood on her lips and she began to lick the remaining drops away.

There had been a lot of blood on her hands during the night and she had only just become a full vampire. So much bloodshed and there was a still a little vampire hunter inside of her that churned in disgust. Small traces of the humanity she had given up that had yet to disappear fully.

When they could no longer heard Blake's heart beating, Alan sat up, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. He was a monstrous sight, drenched in blood and eyes burning like the dancing flame of a fire. His hand pressed against his stomach and he peeled the hole in his t-shirt away from where the stake wound had been. Bridget cocked her head to see what he saw. Smooth, pale skin that showed no sign of being injured.

"Better?" she asked.

He nodded, sitting back to stare at Blake's corpse. Reaching over, he placed the fingertips of his index and middle fingers on Blake's eyelids and pulled them down. Now Blake looked peaceful. Eyes closed as if he was only sleeping.

"You got your peace now," he said. "You wanted to be able rest. Guess now you can."

Near the wall, Bridget snorted and raised an eyebrow at Alan. "You sound like that _Kansas_ song."

"He was really sick of it all," Alan said. "I could see it in his head. People he loved had been killed. He had no other future but vampire hunting. He hadn't been able to save everyone. Twenty six and he was sick of everything. What kind of a life was that?"

"Think that would have happened to you?" she asked.

"I wanted to be a hero. I would have dedicated my life to slaying the undead. No doubt. At least, I'd like to think it wouldn't happen to me. If I was still human, I'd live a long life knowing I'd chosen the right path." He gave a sharp nod as he clenched his fist. A gesture very reminiscent of human Alan. The young teenager who saw a darkness in his hometown and didn't want to run away from it or ignore it. He wanted to fight against it with a determination that never wavered when it came to hunting vampires.

"I felt tired of it," Bridget said. "When we seemed to be losing everyone. Leon, Bernice, you, Mrs Casey, Charlotte… I would have walked away and never looked back once it was over. I couldn't take losing everyone like that. It already got too much."

Alan smiled in her direction as his features softened, reverting back to his human face. He left Blake's side, walking to the spot she sat in and dropped down next her. Both sat in matching positions. Backs to the wall. Knees brought up. Alan lifted up an arm to snake around her shoulders and she leaned into his hold, head resting on his shoulder.

"I'm still here. I wish it could be all of us together. Especially Bernice. But this is our life now."

"Did I make the right choice?" Bridget asked as she stared at Blake's corpse.

"You chose to survive. I put you in a situation where you had to make that final choice. Not your fault really."

"You saved me," she reminded him. "You did the only thing you knew you could do to make sure I didn't die."

He squeezed her shoulder. "Like you said. You protect the ones you love."

She felt his lips against her forehead and smiled. A comfort after the night she had experienced. "So what happens now?"

"There's still Marko to sort out. And then, if you want to, we can leave this place. We start afresh somewhere else. Far away so Edgar, Bonnie and Sam can't find us." The hand on Bridget's shoulder reached up to stroke at the strands of her hair.

"Sounds like a plan," she said. She stayed leaning against him, feeling her body lose the energy she had received from her kill. "I feel so tired."

"Daytime's coming. We'll rest here for the day. The place is completely abandoned and I bet there's a basement we could use to hide."

When they stood up, they dragged Blake to the corner of a room where an old sofa had been left. They hid his corpse behind, making sure it was tucked up before going to examine a trap door towards the left side of the room. It had been left unlocked, easy to lift up and they saw stairs descending down into a pitch black room. Alan walked down first, able to see sharply in the darkness. He could easily make out old cardboard boxes and furniture that had been dumped down in the basement. Some covered in dirty white sheets. He grabbed a couple, smiling at Bridget as she began to arrange some chairs in the corner of the basement.

"Becoming pros at making tents," he joked and began to set up the sheets.

"Just as long as we can get a motel next time. I miss beds."

He laughed, nodding in agreement before he paused and looked up. Bridget watched him frown and step back from the sheets, looking into the distance.

 _Well, I can sense you're still alive, which is a good thing,_ Logan said. _You okay, kid?_

 _Some injuries. Feeding sorted that out. Blake's good and dead._

 _Good. If you're close and up to fighting, there's a problem at the Emerson house. Marko's gone in for the kill. I think this is the perfect time to finish everything once and for all._

 _On my way._

He glanced at Bridget who stood with her hands on her hips and eyebrows raised for information.

"What's happened?" she asked.

"Marko," he answered and that was enough for her to follow him out of the cabin.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.:) Please feel free to leave a review. Next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday.**


	24. Chapter 23

**Thank you GlassMasquerade for your review. :)**

* * *

Edgar woke up with his feet and arms bound. He yelled out, jumping in the chair and looked around with wide, horrified eyes. The familiar wooden décor and tatty furniture, along with animal heads on the walls, told him they were back at Sam's home. Continuing to look around, he noticed he was sat in a circle, surround by the vampires. Sam, Bonnie, Imogen and Bobby were all there, tied up in their own chairs. Imogen whimpered in her seat and he turned to see smoke rising from the skin on her wrists.

"Sam," Edgar said. He turned his head to his friend on the left. Sam's cheek was red and swollen and there was a cut on his right temple. He was quiet in his chair, frown lines deep in his forehead as he stared ahead. When Edgar followed his stare, he saw Sam's Grandpa near the bottom of the stairs. He was propped up against the wall, also bound. His eyes were shut and for a horrifying second Edgar thought he looked too still. But then he saw the faint rise of Grandpa's chest.

Now he really had a good look around. His friends were all there. But so was Michael, Star and Lucy. All tied up and silent as they watched the vampires around them carefully. Edgar twisted and turned his head for one missing member. One person that he hoped hadn't been picked up too.

"Laddie?" Edgar asked.

"Laddie's fine," Sam said. "Marko's leaving him alone."

Edgar shut his eyes and sighed. "Good."

He looked around again, counting the vampires. There were only four of them. Two males and two females. Different ages. Different backgrounds. He recognised one boy from school. A freshman who Bobby liked to trip up in the corridors at school. In fact, Alan was beaten up once for helping the kid gather all his books and insulting Bobby. The boy, now turned vampire, glanced at the jock whose eyes were locked on the kid and vice versa.

Bobby pressed his lips together as if he were about to throw up.

The other male was a punk from the streets. One of those shaved heads, tattoo obsessed punks who liked to hang near the stalls for alternative clothing. The two girls were older. One was a valley girl who looked she had been picked out from a party considering the messed up make-up on her face and colourful club wear she still wore. The other female was shabbily dressed. Baggy clothes and dirty hair with a filthy face. One of the homeless probably. Marko seemed to like picking those ones off. Easy to miss. Nobody really cared if the bum who always sat on the corner of the Grab 'n' Go mart suddenly wasn't there anymore. But despite this, it was still thanks to Marko that there were more vampires in Santa Carla which had the number of missing people higher than the Santa Carla Bobcats' batting average.

If none of them were going to get out of this alive, what was going to happen to the town? Would Marko leave? Edgar shuddered at the thought of a defenceless Santa Carla being turned into the ring-leader's personal hell domain. The vampire seemed stupid enough to be tempted by that sort of power. It could expose vampires in the process but at what cost? How many innocent deaths?

Marko circled the group, grinning away. His eyes shone in amusement at each of his captives. He glanced at the freshman vampire and nodded. The young boy flashed Bobby a sneer before he exited the living room, walking through the open doorway to the dining room. Edgar heard sudden splashes of liquid hitting the wooden floor and turned to see the kid walking around with a large canister of petrol, smothering the furniture and floors in the foul liquid.

Beside him, he heard Bonnie and Star cry out. Bobby completely flipped out in his chair, yelling and swearing at the vampires while Sam, Michael and Lucy remained quiet. They glanced at each other and Lucy shook her head slowly at her sons.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Not your fault, Mom," Sam said.

"Mom, don't blame yourself," Michael added.

"I blame her," Marko said with a sneer. He gestured to Bobby and Imogen. "Apart from the Prom King and Queen here you all had a part in my family's death. You killed them!"

"And you two," he continued, pointing a finger at Star and Bonnie. "We gave you the chance to live forever. Instead you bitches whined about it and backstabbed us all."

"I never wanted that kind of freedom," Star snapped. "You know I had no clue what you guys were. You took advantage of that. I didn't know any better."

"You came to _me,_ " Bonnie said. "I bat my freaking eyelashes _once_ at you and that's it? I'm interesting enough to be turned? You said it back then Marko. You intended for me to find out what you were and then you threatened to kill me if I didn't agree to turning. You're the one who fucked up and _I wish Edgar had never fucking missed your heart_!"

Marko snarled, fingers wrapping around her throat. He squeezed, emitting a rasping wheeze from her.

"Can't wait to hear your screams as you burn to death, bitch," he whispered.

"You get those pasty, undead claws off her, you fucking Dracula," Edgar growled.

Marko laughed but he let go of Bonnie who let her head drop as she breathed heavily.

"Y'know, I think I'm more looking forward to never hearing those pathetic insults again," Marko said to Edgar. He reached over, ruffling the young vampire hunter's hair who swore and jerked his head away. "Seriously, frogspawn, you never sounded tough talking shit like that."

He straightened, glancing around the room at his captives. "Speaking of spawn, where's my little nephew? My buddies here couldn't find the walking, talking grump." He raised his eyebrows at the lack of surprise in everyone's faces. Well everyone apart from Bobby and Imogen. By now it looked like word had spread between the hunters and the Emerson family that Marko had his nephew running around town.

"You know who Dino is then."

"Blake?" Edgar nodded. "Yeah, we're aware of the family reunion. Congrats on being worst Uncle of the Year."

"Why should I give a shit about a kid I never met? If you're expecting an apology, forget it. I didn't intend to go out and kill my brother and his chick but unfortunately we crossed paths." He paced and gave a casual shrug. "Couldn't get exposed. Either them or me."

"So you chose yourself," Edgar muttered.

"Survival, tadpole," Marko said. "You kill my kind to survive, right?" He grinned and bent down to the vampire hunter, placing his hands on the arms of the chair Edgar was tied to.

"That's what your little brother did –."

" _Don't talk about Alan_."

"If he didn't feed and you still couldn't find the Head Vampire, he would have wasted away. He already was. I saw him take that final step. Logan didn't really give him a chance y'know –."

"Shut the fuck up, leech."

"He just sorta threw this guy in front of Alan and cut the human so he's all cowering and bleeding. Man, Alan just had to take one sniff and he was ripping into the guy's throat without even trying to fight the thirst."

" _Shut your Goddamn mouth!_ "

"Marko, you fuck, quit it!" Bonnie snapped.

"I've been watching," Marko continued, ignoring Bonnie and burst into laughter again. "The kid doesn't hesitate at all. He swoops in and goes for it. Latches on and kills them in seconds. He's a cold son of a bitch."

"Stop it!" she yelled.

Edgar screamed. A guttural roar and he tried to throw himself forward, muscles tightening as he pushed his wrists and ankles to break free of the ropes. It was no use. They were too tight to break through and he was only human. He struggled and writhed, shouting out insults and swear words at Marko until his throat felt raw. His voice died down, descending into heavy breathing as he stared Marko in the eye. He felt his eyes burn with tears but he blinked them away. No way in hell was he going to let that vampire see him cry. He wasn't afraid. Anger fuelled his hatred to keep that fear at bay.

"You're a bastard. We're going to get out of this and we're going to kill you. This time, I won't fucking miss your heart," he whispered to the vampire.

"Then I better get on with things so you don't have the chance to get out," Marko said. He glanced towards the girl, the homeless female, and nodded. On cue, she took out a box of matches and smiled at the hunters and Sam's family. She gave a wave of her hand and the matches rattled in the box. She took her delightful time with a cruel smirk on her face as she pushed the matchbox open and delicately took out a match.

"Chuck it where the petrol has gone," Marko said before smirking. "They can burn but it's still fun when there's a little bit of a slow build up. Don't disappoint me, kids, I'm hoping for a bit of begging. Maybe from the ones who were given a chance to be immortal but fucked it up."

The girl nodded, taking long strides over to the petrol doused dining room. The freshman boy had moved into the living room, heaving the contents of the canister onto the furniture and the stairs. Sam cried out when petrol hit his grandfather, who still laid unconscious on the floor. Marko could only stand and laugh, biting at his thumbnail until the swing of the front door made him stop and he whirled around.

"Don't be playing games now," Marko called out. He stared at the front door, opening by itself to reveal nothing but Sam's gravelled path. There was the hoot of an owl in the distance and the faint howl of the wind but not a sign or a peep from another vampire.

"Come on in," Marko continued, stepping forward. Nobody appeared but he still raised his voice and addressed whoever was lurking about. "Better if I get rid of all of you dicks in one go."

"I can see how annoying that arrogance must have been for my brother," Adam said.

Heads turned. Doctor Mathias stood behind one of Marko's pawns. The Valley girl. She hadn't even noticed he had been there, still new to using her abilities and shrieked when fingers clamped around her head. With a twist, the older vampire tore it right off, allowing blood to splatter. He smiled calmly at Marko as he held the vampire's head, ignoring the tissue and bone that hung from where it was ripped off from her neck. The body dropped down by Imogen's feet who started to shriek hysterically, especially when the skin began to rot and release a foul, eggy odour in the air. In seconds the corpse looked like the remains of a zombie. Adam dropped the decomposed head, kicking it away with his foot.

"You and your brothers were arrogant troublemakers," Adam said, stepping forward. "I was sick of you all running around like you owned Santa Carla without any consideration of the consequences. And now you're having a temper tantrum."

Marko sneered. "You sound just like Max."

"Perhaps. But one difference between myself and my brother. He suggested a mother would discipline you. I think disposing of you would be much more effective."

It was an explosion of fights. As soon as Adam finished speaking, Logan and Ruby had pounced and the vampires around them were in heated fights. Marko had gone straight for Adam, flying into him and the two of them collapsed in a heap in the dining room, rolled around in the petrol smeared on the floor. The freshman boy had dropped the canister, allowing the rest of the liquid to gush out as Ruby grabbed hold onto the back of his jacket and pulled him back. Forgetting the petrol, the boy managed to wriggle free and dart behind her. In seconds their arms waved around as they both attacked and blocked each other.

Logan had taken on the homeless girl and shaved headed punk. Despite how young he looked, Logan easily dodged every swipe and kicked aimed at him by the two vampires. He may have become frozen in the body of a sixteen year old but inside there was a decades old vampire who was well experienced in tricks and tactics. He laughed as he dashed around, flying up to the ceilings and scuttling across the walls, forcing the two vampires into chasing him.

Edgar would have used the distraction to his advantage if he hadn't been looking out for three people in particular. No sign of Blake, Bridget or Alan. He knew Blake had taken Alan away to kill but it should have been done by now. That was why Blake offered. He could do the task and do it quickly. And Bridget was supposed to be with the vampires. But if she wasn't… maybe…

He wasn't sure. There was many possibilities. She was still half and too weak to come and help fight. Blake had been successful and she was human again but, again, weak…

"Edgar," Bonnie whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced back, seeing her shuffling towards him. The legs scraped against the wood as she tried to hop over. "I can see the pen knife in your pocket."

"Can you grab it?" he asked.

She kept hopping closer, eyes on the vampires but they seemed too focused on fighting. "I'll give it a shot."

Edgar glanced at Imogen and Bobby. "Hey, half fang," he whispered.

Imogen whimpered and looked back, first glancing at the corpse near her feet and back at Edgar.

"Ignore it. You should be strong enough to tug Bobby's hands free."

"The rope burns. It's been soaked in Holy water," she said, cringing as she tugged on the rope and smoke rose from her wrists.

"It'll dry. And that'll only burn you. It's not enough to kill you. Suck it up and get Bobby free."

She whimpered again but began to push the chair back and in the direction of her boyfriend. Bonnie had finally come close enough and twisted her hand to grasp at the pen knife sticking out of Edgar's pocket. After having all of their weapons taken away, she was partly surprised that they had left his pen knife. Then again, Marko probably thought a pen knife wouldn't cause much damage against vampires. His arrogance still led him to underestimate. Continue to confuse immortality for invincible.

"Careful," Edgar snapped as the pen knife nearly slipped from her fingers. He felt her jump, a small gasp from feeling her grip on the weapon weaken. But her instincts acted fast and her fingers gripped onto the knife, clutching tightly in fear of losing it again. She clicked the knife upwards and began to move the blade against the rope.

"They're still fighting," Edgar said to her, doing his best to keep his eye on Logan and the fighting vampires.

"So are Marko and Adam," she said and glanced at Imogen and Bobby. "Imogen's nearly got Bobby's ropes undone."

"Good. Sam, think you can try?"

Sam began to shuffle near to Michael. "I'll give it a shot."

"Hey!"

Edgar glanced towards the door where Logan had thrown the punk vampire into a coffee table. It broke under the force, legs cracking under the weight. However, it didn't stop the vampire from leaping up and pointing a finger towards Edgar and Bonnie.

"They're trying to get out!" he yelled.

"Do something then!" Marko shouted as he tried to get out of Adam's grasp. The Head Vampire had him pinned to a wall, one hand clasped around the younger vampire's neck and using a lot of force to try and twist it.

The punk vampire leapt towards Edgar and Bonnie. With a swipe of his hand, he knocked Bonnie, sending her sideways to the floor. Her chair crashed down, knocking her shoulder. She gasped, pain shooting through her arm but she managed to roll it. It hurt but it wasn't dislocated. However, the pen knife had dropped from her hands and she couldn't look around properly to find it. Or move herself.

The vampire had a fistful of Edgar's hair, fangs bared as he forced the boy's head sideways, baring his throat. Edgar tried to move his legs against the rope but they barely budged. He was trapped. Bound by ropes to allow the vampire to easily lunge at his throat.

He couldn't help it. He squeezed his eyes shut. Heard the raspy hiss of the vampire and cold breath while the shouts of his friends sounded distant. His heart pounded furiously in his ears.

 _This is it,_ he thought.

"I hope I give you blood poisoning, death breath," he growled at the vampire.

But the bite never came. Instead he heard the vampire screech and opened his eyes to see the punk staggering back with the sharp point of a table leg sticking out of his chest, right where his heart would be located. Steam rose from the wound and the vampire's skin began to melt, dripping away in slimy grey and white lumps to reveal bones. Edgar wrinkled his nose, holding his breath as the melting skin released a rotten odour similar to cooked cabbage. The vampire crumbled into a pile of bones, liquid skin and clothes while the attacker behind him was revealed.

"Alan," Edgar whispered. He saw movement beside him and saw Bridget pulling Bonnie up off the floor before she knelt down and began to untie the knots.

"Where's Blake?" he asked, although he had a good idea of what had happened from the blood stains around his brother's mouth.

Alan sneered but he moved around to untie Edgar.

"I killed him," he said.

"Listen –."

"Edgar, shut up." Alan stood up as his brother shook the ropes off around his wrists and set out to untie his ankles.

"You going to kill me for that?" he asked as he undid the ropes and stood to face his brother.

There was a hardened glare in Alan's eyes. A cold stare Edgar had unfortunately become used to in his brother's eyes whenever they saw each other. It was an icy, accusing stare at Edgar which reminded him of how many times he had let Alan down. And he had. Despite what had happened the night his brother finally made the first kill, Edgar would always blame himself first.

But Alan shut his eyes for a second and dipped his chin.

"I guess I would have done the same if you were the vampire instead of me," Alan said. "I know that. At least, for now I do. You disappointed me and I still hate the way you treated me but… you're my brother."

Edgar nodded, trying to fight back the tears that stung his eyes. "Yeah. You are."

"Brid?" Bonnie's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she watched her friend pull at the ropes around her ankles.

Bridget glanced up and Bonnie could see the red stains, almost hidden in the corners of her mouth. She looked healthier again. A fuller face that wasn't gaunt and her skin wasn't so chalky and bruised anymore. She was pale. A tone almost like the porcelain dolls she used to collect as a child. Smooth and white. A ghostly glow.

And she easily tugged and pulled on the ropes, freeing her in seconds.

"You did it, didn't you?" Bonnie asked.

Bridget frowned, eyebrows furrowing together but she kept her eyes on Bonnie, not looking away in shame once.

"I couldn't fight it anymore," she said and stood back up, turning to examine the scene before her.

There were two dead vampires. One that Alan had killed and another headless corpse on the floor. That only left three. Marko, a female and a young boy she recognised from school who were all busy fighting. It didn't seem like a lot on Marko's part, even when the other two were alive. But from all the tied up humans around her, Marko probably wasn't looking for a final showdown. The final battle. She smelled petrol and the reason for all of this was pretty obvious.

Imogen and Bobby were free, backing away from the fight between Marko and Adam. Michael and Star had gathered together while Lucy and Sam went over to Grandpa, now slowly waking up and groaning in pain.

"Okay, weapons are upstairs. In Sam's room," Edgar said, pointing to Michael and Star. They nodded and hurried upstairs while Edgar began firing more orders.

"I'm assuming we're still working together," he said to Alan and Bridget who both gave a short, silent nod. "Right, we need to get rid of his pawns first. As soon as we have weapons, we get rid of the kid and homeless girl. I need someone to get Lucy and Sam's Grandpa out of here."

"I'm gaining numbers remember," Marko said and managed to throw Adam away from him. The Head Vampire landed in the middle of the circle everyone had been tied up in and he flew back up to his feet. The other two vampires managed to dart away from Logan and Ruby, joining Marko near the doorway. The grin on Marko's face was manic and knowing. Even Logan and Ruby backed away carefully, suddenly looking around them and Ruby whispered a swear word.

"What is it?" Edgar asked. He glanced at Alan and Bridget who had begun to face different ways.

"Listen," Alan whispered.

Edgar did. But there was still nothing. For a while. Gradually, Edgar could hear the distant screeching. Clothes flapping.

 _Shit,_ he thought and looked at Marko.

"I was hoping this would be an easy kill. Just let you burn to death and that would be it. No more hunters. But I have backup. Just in case," he said, grinning.

There were thumps on the roof. Echoes of laughter and hisses around them. Shadows dropped down outside in front of the windows and Edgar could see glowing amber eyes staring into the house. Footsteps scrambled around on the roof. There were whoops and cries of vampires itching for blood and a fight.

"A _lot_ of backup," Marko added.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a review. Due to work getting a little hectic and more and more of my free time being taken away, I'm going to go ahead and upload the final three chapters on Sunday and just get it over and done with. :)**


	25. Chapter 24

**Thank you to Silverheels12 for your review and GlassMasquerade for your pm! :)**

 **Well, this is it. The final 3 chapters for Past and Present and the overall finale to the Santa Carla Undead series. A massive thank you to the following who have reviewed the final story:**

 **Silverheels12, GlassMasquerade, Guest, Kaiyatethesilverwolfdemon, booklover457, Raindrop, snowflake2410 and lillisa34**

 **And a thank you to everyone who has read, followed, reviewed and favourited the stories of Santa Carla Undead. It's really meant a lot and I'm glad you enjoyed them! I'm sure this won't be the last time I post fanfic. Maybe it'll be for The Lost Boys again or I'll try a new fandom. I have plenty of ideas for different stories and fandoms so I'll be sure to stick around. :)  
**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Upstairs in Sam's room, Star and Michael collected the weapons when they heard the bangs and saw a figure dart across the window.

"Michael," she whispered, reaching a hand out to him.

"He's brought more," Michael said. "Get downstairs. Now."

She nodded, clutching the weapons to her and they dashed out, yelling out when the windows in Sam's room smashed and they heard a deadly hiss behind them. Michael shouted at Star to keep running and she did, almost tumbling down the stairs as she held weapons.

"Those for the hunters?" Marko asked, suddenly appearing in front of her. She tripped, almost falling right into Marko and he pushed her back, allowing her to regain her balance. The weapons however had fallen from her grip. Behind her, Michael halted immediately, turning when he heard footsteps behind him and a female vampire appeared, smiling widely at him with her fangs bared.

"It's pathetic how we don't need anything to fight and you do," Marko sneered and grabbed her wrist.

"Get the party started, guys!" he shouted.

The demons descended.

There were echoes of growls, hisses and screams. Blurs of vampires leaping at the humans and Logan's pack who quickly began to move. Even Star made an attack. Marko had grabbed her bare wrist and when his eyes flickered towards the bannister, she had a sickening churn in her stomach telling her he was about to throw her off.

"Don't touch her!" Michael yelled. But as he moved forward, abandoning the weapons he carried, the female vampire that had appeared pulled him back. With one knock of her arm, Michael felt the floor disappear from his feet and he back flipped over the bannister, plummeting down to the ground. He heard Star's cry of his name but pain radiated through, almost sending him into a darkness that threatened his vision and consciousness.

Star roared out. Her eyes wide at Marko. She hadn't felt this much anger bubble up inside of her since the confrontation with Max. When she found out he was the Head Vampire and she was a foot away from destroying the only obstacle left to bringing back her humanity. Like the snap of a twig, she had seethed and grabbed the nearest weapon, no longer afraid of these vampires and ready to kill Max. Here, she felt the fury again. The wrath that made her fear of vampires disappear and helped her realise she had to fight. If she wanted her life back, she needed to act.

So she did. Just like last summer.

After the battle with Max's pack and she was human again she had moved in with the Widow Johnson. A kindly old lady who at some point in her younger years had her own reputation as a vampire hunter. A deadly slayer who had killed vampire after vampire in her youthful days. When Star first came to the Widow Johnson, she had straight away received a present from the old woman. A small cross for her charm bracelet. Small but deadly if she were to use it on vampires. Not kill them exactly but it would help ward them off.

Star lifted her right arm, the one with the charm bracelet on and she pressed her wrist to Marko's forehead. The cross welded to Marko's skin and he screamed, immediately letting go.

"I'm done being afraid," she whispered and pushed him, a gleeful laugh as he let his balance waver and he tumbled down the stairs. He managed to get control of his body as he flew up to the rafters just before he reached the last step. She took her focus away from him to spin around, grabbing a stake and thrusting it forwards to the hissing female behind her. It missed the vampire's heart, shooting straight through her stomach but it was a bad enough injury to make her screech and retreat back upstairs.

In the midst of the battle in the living room, Edgar had found himself fighting alongside his brother, of all people. It had happened without thinking. Both of them saw a vampire coming towards them. Alan reached for a stake that had rolled down from the steps after Star had dropped the weapons and, with a whistle, he tossed it to Edgar who caught it easily. Alan chose to stay unarmed, relying solely on the graceful, acrobatic moves he could now do and the strength from the vampire blood running through his veins.

Without speaking to each other, they moved to attack and defend themselves against the vampire as if it had been a choreographed routine. Completely in sync as Edgar would aim for the vampire's heart but the bloodsucker spun out of the way, only to be made to react quickly to Alan's attacks. The vampire, a red headed male, jumped to the side when Edgar lunged at him with the stake again and, at the same time, used his outer forearm to block a punch from Alan. He hoisted himself off the ground, tilting his body to the side as his legs kicked out. Alan managed to duck swiftly but Edgar was caught by the heel of the vampire's booted foot. He felt the impact of the hard shoe material against his cheek, a searing pain in his face. His vision darkened as he fell to the floor, hand up to clutch his tender and throbbing cheek. When he heard the hiss and saw the vampire throwing himself down to attack again, fangs bared for the lethal strike, Edgar lifted the stake up. A simple move that the vampire couldn't regain his balance in time to avoid. He was falling and he impaled himself right on the tip of the stake. The vampire squealed, arms flailing before he suddenly lurched up into the air and right into the ceiling where he exploded into a cloud of ash. His clothes floated down to the ground and Edgar felt himself lie back, eyes closing as he began to focus on the pain in his cheek. It already felt like it was swelling up.

"Nice work, bro," Alan said, extending a hand down. Edgar grasped it, shuddering once at the icy touch of his brother's skin but allowed Alan to help him up. His head spun and for a second he had to clutch onto Alan to stand up and keep his balance. But he forced himself to focus. To keep awake and keep alert. That was only one vampire out of the swarm Marko had just summoned to help.

"Interesting fighting skills you have there now," Edgar muttered. "But, uh, thanks for helping."

Alan nodded once before dashing past Edgar and targeting another one of Marko's pawns. Edgar clutched his stake and headed towards Lucy. She was trapped in the corner, fending off a female vampire with a cross as she tried to keep her father up. His head kept drooping, unable to help stop himself from slumping down on her. Edgar rushed over, grabbing the girl's long hair and staked her from the back. Her jaw opened wide in a silent scream before the injury paralysed her and she fell back, frozen as a screaming corpse. A grey tint swept over her skin and the amber glow of her eyes died, fading in colour.

"He took a blow to the head," Lucy said and her fingers hovered over an angry, red lump on her father's forehead. It had been cut open, now caked in dried blood.

"We need you two out of here," Edgar said and looked at the open door.

"I can't leave you all. Sam and Michael –."

"Can fight," Edgar said. "And your father's badly injured. I need you to take him somewhere safe."

Lucy opened her mouth to argue again. But she glanced at Sam and Michael, both facing a vampire each. She watched her two sons block hits and throw their own, moving as fast as they could, concentrating on the vampires they had leaped into a fight with. Her motherly instincts told her to wrap them both up in her arms and carry them out with her father. But they managed. Briefly she watched them manoeuvre around their vampires, targeting certain points of the bodies and blocking any swipes at them. It was almost like watching a dance. She could hardly believe she was watching her two boys. Two boys who not long ago were in nappies and learning how to walk and talk. At least, that's how it seemed.

Edgar gestured to Sam's father. "Lucy, take Mr Burke away. _Get far away._ We'll sort it out," he said.

"Jus' don't damage my damn house again," Grandpa muttered, eyes fluttering open.

"Oh, dad!" She flung her arms around her father's neck.

"Damn vampires everywhere," he mumbled, looking around.

"We're getting out of here," she said, lifting him and Edgar threw the old man's other arm around his shoulders to help. When Lucy had him balance and kept his weight up herself, Edgar grabbed a weapon that Star had dropped on her way back down. A silver knife with a wooden sheath. Perfect for werewolves and vampires and curtesy of Grandpa. Armed with a stake and the knife he guided them through the fight happening around them. Every vampire and hunter on his side had at least one vampire attacking them. The house was almost infested with leeches. More than they ever battled at once. There wasn't any hiding. No surprise appearances like David's pack had done. This fight was a desperate one. A final attempt on both sides to end it, once and for all without any careful consideration of the consequences.

It was that exact thought that had Edgar shaking inside. Struggling to keep up the persona of leader. The one who gave the orders, thought of their strategies and was responsible for getting everyone out alive.

Marko was insane, obsessed and willing to do anything to kill the ones who had wronged him. He allowed his anger to fuel his fighting and any icy chill down the back of Edgar's spine told him that he might actually get what he wanted.

Edgar managed to get Lucy and Grandpa towards the door, passing Lucy a weapon and ushering them out.

"Edgar." Lucy turned to the teenager and her mouth was turned down into a frown.

"I won't let anything happen to Sam and Michael. I promise," he said. "Please, get somewhere safe."

"There's a log cabin nearby, further into the forest," Alan said, appearing beside his brother.

Edgar wanted to throw up at the sight of his brother, eyes glowing and fangs on show. The cheekbones more defined and angular. Forehead smooth but prominent as it arched down towards his nose, creating a slight hood for his shadowed, amber eyes.

"When the trail towards you splits, take the right. It's a straight path and you'll find the cabin in a clearing." Despite his helpful suggestion, he grinned. "Don't mind the dead body in the living room."

Lucy couldn't say anything. Edgar saw her eyes widen, horrified at Alan's remark at the end. But it was a haven where she could take her father.

"I'll go there then. But then I'm coming back."

Edgar sighed. "Lucy –."

"I'm coming back. You need numbers."

Without waiting for an argument, she turned and led Grandpa down the path towards his car. Edgar glanced at Alan and cleared his throat.

"I'm guessing that dead body is Blake," he muttered.

Alan shrugged before turning back to the house. Logan had kicked a vampire towards the door and the youngest Frog brother made a grab for him. Arms wrapped around the vampire's neck and forehead, holding him tight and Edgar drove the knife right into the heart of the hissing male. The vampire gurgled blood, vomiting dark red liquid before going limp in Alan's arms who dropped the corpse and stepped over it, moving towards his pack leader.

"Three more hours and it's daylight," Logan said to the brothers. "We need something to get rid of all of them at once if we don't want another night of this."

"Great minds think alike," Marko said. The three boys turned to see Marko near the stairs, hands holding back Adam's arms. Edgar was ready laugh. How a great Head Vampire was able to be stuck in the arms of a vampire who was younger. But then he saw the awkward twist of Adam's arms. When Marko let go, they hung down and Edgar saw the three places on each arm where the bones had been broken. Bones poking through the skin in disfigured lumps.

"Dad!" Logan stepped forward but Marko grabbed Adam again, arm around the neck, and reached for a stake that was on the floor. He rested the tip right against the material of Adam's shirt and smirked.

"I'll stake him before you can get over here, brat. Doesn't matter how fast you can move. I'm just as quick."

Logan halted, teeth and fangs bared but he stayed put. Edgar could see the boy's fists shaking before he focused on Marko.

Marko smirked as a vampire walked closer to him. A vampire that had been fighting Sam who now lay on the floor, not moving. Edgar's heart raced as he saw his friend's body but he heard a groan and Sam's leg twitched, stretching out.

"Maybe I won't get all of you tonight," he said and the vampire lifted the matchbox off the floor. "But I'll make fucking sure most of you don't make it out of this house alive."

With a flick of her wrist, the vampire who had joined Marko lit the match. Flames sparked, hissed and the flame on the tip danced eagerly. Edgar shouted a warning, diving for Sam who was near the petrol coated floor. The vampire dropped the match right into the pool of petrol.

Flames roared up.

Shrieks and screams shuddered through the house, from all sides. Some of the vampires on Marko's side had been standing in the petrol and as soon as the fire darted its way through the house, lapping up the trail of petrol, they were caught. Flames licked at their skin, coated them and they broke off their fights to scream and yell at the angry fire quickly enveloping them.

Edgar hadn't reached Sam in time. Fire licked and jabbed at his sleeve and he cried out. Edgar grabbed Sam, pulling him away and taking off the boy's jacket to get rid the flames that had latched on. He winced at the blistering redness to Sam's upper arm.

"What're you doing?" a vampire cried. One of Marko's and she turned to him, fangs bared as she watched some of her new brothers and sisters be swept up in the fire.

Marko shrugged. "Soldiers get sacrificed in a war."

"You don't care that they're dying? Save them!"

Ruby took advantage of the girl's distraction, sneaking up behind and clasped onto the girl's head.

"See? It's all a game of chess. And you're the useless pawn," she whispered before twisting the head clean off.

Vampires retreated. The ones who were clear of the fire saw most of their pack in flames and burning into ash. They were new and determined not to die so they fled. Flying out of the nearest exit with their frightened screams echoing.

"Looks like they've deserted you," Adam sneered at Marko. "A good Head Vampire watches over their pack. You've happily sacrificed them to get what you want."

"I never wanted to be a good Head Vampire," Marko said. "I just wanted to see a lot of dead bodies."

He plunged the stake through Adam's heart.

"No!" Logan screamed.

Marko laughed as he let go of Adam, watching the former Head Vampire fall limply to the floor. His body fell into the flames near them, being enveloped instantly.

Around them, Alan and Ruby were the only ones who flinched. Felt the shock of their Head Vampire dying, the connection snapping. Edgar frowned, glancing at Alan who glared at Marko with a growl rumbling in his throat.

 _If Alan had still been half, that would have been his cure,_ he thought. _He'd be human again. But it's too late._

The fight could end between Logan and Marko. A few more vampire bodies didn't matter to him. It was time to get his friends out.

The fire stretched through the house, growing fast and determined. There was too much wood in the house that it had spawned into something monstrous. There was smoke filling up every inch, thick, grey smoke that stung Edgar's eyes. Making it harder to see.

"Bonnie! Michael!" he shouted. "Guys?"

"Edgar!" He looked to his left and saw a figure dashing to him. A female figure with thick, curly black hair and a long, shimmery skirt.

"Star, take Sam. Where's -?"

"Edgar, Michael's trapped!" Bridget shouted, pointing upstairs.

Michael was on the landing, backing away from the fire creeping up the stairs. He held an arm to his mouth coughing violently as he looked for another way out.

"Michael!" Star cried out, hands flying to her mouth.

"Can you get up there?" Edgar asked Bridget. "Please… if you can get up there…"

Bridget stared at him with emotionless eyes and for a second he actually thought she was going to turn her back on them. Go to her pack instead. But her features softened and Edgar could see that her humanity hadn't disappeared completely yet. She still remembered them and what they had meant to her in her former human life.

"Yeah. I can get him out of the window." She turned to Star. "Go round the back with Sam and meet us there."

Star nodded, helping Sam up and she dragged him through the burning house. Bridget flew up to the landing, grabbing hold of Michael's arm and they ran for his mother's bedroom.

"Edgar?" Bonnie ran over, grasping at Edgar's shirt with Bobby and Imogen following them. Beside Edgar, his small friend shook as she clung to him, tears streamed down her blotchy face.

"Leave them to it," Edgar said, nodding at Alan, Logan and Ruby who were getting ready to attack Marko. Yet he grinned, despite having three full vampire ready to launch themselves at his throat. "We're getting out of here."

"But if this is our chance to help Imogen –," Bobby began, arms wrapped around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"Bobby, the fucking house is burning down!" Edgar snapped. He began to pull Bonnie, beckoning Bobby and Imogen to follow. But there was a small hesitation as he looked towards his brother. Alan had run straight into Marko, stake in his hand and aimed to pierce right through Marko's heart. It was such a brash, determined move that was so much like Human Alan. Even after those months of vampire hunting, Alan would still have the tendency to snap and impulsively go for the kill. It was one of the reasons he ended up turned in the first place. Not just because Charlotte had her creepy obsession with Alan but he had done the stupid thing and chased a vampire by himself.

So it wasn't surprising that Marko had caught Alan and kicked him in the stomach so he flew back into Edgar and Bonnie. He yelped, Alan flying into Edgar, Edgar falling backwards onto Bonnie. The three of them ended up in a pile on the floor, groaning. While Edgar and Bonnie stayed down, taking a second to shake off the sudden collision, Alan was already on his feet.

"Keep going! Go on!" Edgar shouted at Bobby and Imogen. He waved his free hand as he helped Bonnie up. The couple had been close to the front door and Bobby took the command with no hesitation. He clutched onto Imogen and guided her out of the burning house.

Marko laughed as he dodged Logan's and Ruby's attacks. The female vampire paused, an irritated growl escaping from her as he dashed behind her. She turned, unable to keep up with his movements.

"Pathetic," Marko sneered. "Every one of you." He grasped Logan's wrist and bent it. The snap was sharp and Logan swore out loud, jerking away and backing up.

"You always said not to underestimate these hunters, Logan," Marko said. "Did you ever think about not underestimating _me_? When I want something, I get it."

As soon as those words left his lips, his gaze flickered to Bonnie who was back on her feet. It was a brief second before, to the human eye, he disappeared and reappeared behind her. She hadn't even realised he had moved until arms wrapped around her upper body, trapping her arms and she was being dragged over to the arched frame that separated the living room from the dining room. The fire roared and crackled behind them and she screeched, feeling the warm licks of the flames.

Edgar screamed her name. He had lunged forward, only to be pushed back by Alan and his hands flew at his brother.

"Don't you dare stop me!" he yelled. "She was your friend!"

"He'll toss her into that fire before you even have the chance to take the first step," Alan snapped.

"If you let her die, _I will kill you._ No more fucking alliance."

"Logaaaan…" Ruby whined, looking back at her old friend. He had twisted his arm back, setting the bones again. "What the hell do we do?"

Tears dripped down Bonnie's face. Her heart raced. Thundered against her chest. A part of her wanted to throw up. She was seconds away from being toast. Marko would do it. The dating period had been over a long time ago. When she made her choice to help kill his pack and return human that was officially the end of anything between them. The only emotions between them that were left were hatred and betrayal. Anger that only fuelled the desire for each other to die.

She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that it was going to be Marko who got his wish.

Last summer, she had casually flirted with a stranger. A blonde biker with a cheeky air of rebellion. He had asked her out. She said yes.

Her worst mistake in all her eighteen years. Now she was paying the price for the last time.

"Now, son, I don't know what kind of relationship issues you have. Frankly, I don't give a damn. But I think you need to let the little lady go."

"Mr Burke!" Edgar turned to Sam's Grandpa. He stood as tall as he could, scowling with a bow and arrow raised. He had it aimed, poised towards Marko.

"I told you to get to safety!" Edgar snapped at Grandpa.

"I ain't taking orders from a doddery old man," Marko growled.

"It wasn't an order. I'm making you do it whether you want to or not."

He let the arrow go. By the time Marko had pushed Bonnie away to catch it, he was already too late. He hadn't raised his hands in time, seconds wasted by letting Bonnie go and shoving her to the side. The arrow was nowhere near the heart but it did go clean through his throat. Blood gurgled out from Marko's mouth and his hands flew up to grab the tip, ready to pull it out.

 _Do it!_ Bonnie thought. It was the right time. He was distracted. Injured. And the weapon was already prepared.

With a guttural scream, she dashed forward. Arms outstretched. She grabbed hold of Marko's hands, clutching on as tightly as she could manage for a human. Her eyes were wide, teeth bared and the anger flooded her. The anger from the terror he had put her through last summer. Revealing himself as a vampire by killing two people in front of her. Threatening her to turn or die. Killing her mother. Bringing Logan's pack into his petty revenge. It had resulted in the loss of too many loved ones. The permanent deaths of Leon, Bernice and her mother. The death of Alan's and Bridget's humanity.

"I fucking hope there's a hell for you to go to," she whispered and pushed. Threw herself against him and let go before the fires could touch her. But Marko fell. Right into the flames and his howls echoed the house. Bonnie stayed put, wanting to see the fire envelope Marko and burn his body. She had to see it. So had to know for sure he was gone this time. But Edgar grabbed her hand and tugged her.

"We need to get out!" he yelled.

He was right. The flames spread. The more wood it touched, the faster it got. Beams creaked and one fell down in the kitchen.

They both ran. Mr Burke, Ruby, Logan and Alan followed. Around them the house whined and groaned. Gradually collapsing. Everyone was further down the hill, screaming for them to get away from the house.

"Dad!" Lucy ran to her father, arms around him. "I told you not to go back in! You could have died."

"Damn good job I did," Grandpa said.

"He saved my life," Bonnie said and reached to hug him once Lucy had let go.

"I thought you weren't coming out of there!" Bridget said as Alan came up. The vampires had kept a distance away from them, standing to the side as they came from the house. Bridget had dashed over to Alan, throwing her arms around his neck. He caught her easily, holding her around her waist. Muttered an arrogant comment about being too hard to kill followed by a kiss to her cheek. For a while they stayed like that. Still and embraced before they loosened their hold. One of Alan's arms stayed around her waist.

"Do you think he's dead?" Edgar asked as Sam came up to join them. He kept his right arm still, using only his left to give Bonnie and Edgar a hug.

"God, I freaking hope so," she whispered.

"Imogen, do you feel any different?" Star asked, stepping up to put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Imogen frowned, pulling slightly away from Bobby. At first she wasn't sure. She was too busy shaking and feeling her bruises throb all over her body. But there was something missing that had been there before. And as she thought about it, she realised this would be easy to miss. It nagged at her constantly. She looked around, noticing there was a slight blur to her vision and the roar of the fire had quietened. With her vampire senses, it had sound like the thundering roar of an earthquake.

"Yeah," Imogen said. She glanced at everyone and smiled. "Yeah… I do actually. I don't feel thirsty anymore. My eyesight's blurry."

Bobby lifted a hand to her cheek. Her tone wasn't pale anymore. Her sun-kissed glow was back. The veins unnoticeable. When his knuckles brushed against her skin, her temperature was warmer.

"We did it," he whispered and she squealed, suddenly leaping into his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he spun, both of them in fits of gleeful laughter.

"Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you!" She suddenly let go of Bobby, running over to Edgar and before he could even make a sound of protest, let alone move away, she had grabbed him into a hug. She squeezed him tightly as she thanked everyone again and again… and again.

"Yeah, okay, enough. Just doing our duty. I'll give you the bill at school," Edgar mumbled, trying to peel her off.

She frowned. "Bill?"

Bonnie patted her back and nudged her to leave. "Just go home and rest. He always threatens this. He doesn't mean it."

"I have to get paid for this at some point!"

"Edgar…ssh." Bonnie placed a finger on his lip. She smiled and pulled him into a hug. "We're all alive. That's the best payment you can get."

"Not quite everyone," Logan muttered. He had stepped away from Alan, Bridget and Ruby, facing the house. He wasn't the only one staring at the large home, slowly crumbling to piles of burnt wood. He wasn't the only one with tears in his eyes. Lucy and Grandpa stood side by side, holding each other as they watched their home burn to the ground.

Bonnie, Edgar and Sam were quiet. They offered no apologies. How could they? Adam had encouraged the revenge in the first place. Blending in and playing doctors as he learnt everything about them. Adam was another Head Vampire who got what was coming to him in their opinion.

"The alliance is over now," Edgar said, stepping forward. "We've killed Marko and Charlotte. They're no longer a threat. I want all of you gone." He glanced at Bridget and Alan. "You two as well."

Logan sneered at them. "Or you'll kill us? Just you three hunters?"

"More than three," Michael said, coming forward. "Don't touch my family or my friends."

"I'll happily fight you," Star added.

"Count us in," Lucy said and Grandpa grunted with a nod.

"Us too," Bobby said, walking closer to the hunters with Imogen.

"You really want to dive right into another fight?" Sam asked. "Keep this going? Because we can as well. I've had it with you fucking vampires and coming after my friends and family. Every time I'm threatened by you lot, I'm just more and more determined to beat you. But hell, if you want to reunite with Daddy, we'll happily help."

"Logan," Ruby whispered. She reached for him, pulling on his jacket. "I couldn't give a shit about revenge. Years ago, you gave me another chance to live. I'm not giving that up to continue fighting with the Brat Pack. Over my undead body. Come on, just… just leave it, okay? I want to have fun."

Logan gritted his teeth together. But he glanced at the burning house.

 _That was all Marko,_ he reminded himself. It was the result of a vampire who couldn't let things go. A vampire who was part of a young and reckless pack. This could have all been avoided if they stayed in the shadows but arrogance got the best of them. And this was the end of their path. The last of them burning alive.

"You got what you wanted out of it. You have two of them on our side and Marko and Charlotte are dead. That's enough," Ruby said.

"When did you become the voice of reason in this pack?" Logan asked.

She grinned. "I was always smarter than you."

"Okay," he said and added in a louder voice. "Okay, hunters. Truce. We've both lost soldiers. We're both fed up of battles. Fine. We're out. I'm sick of the sight of you saps anyway."

"Feelings mutual for once," Edgar grumbled. "And I want all of you out of this town, by the way. I mean, _all of you._ " He looked at Alan and Bridget. She remained quiet, eyes averting down when he half expected her to snap and get angry. Maybe she was still human enough to be ashamed of her decision. But it didn't matter. She had finally chosen a side and it was with Alan. He gazed at his brother who stepped forward, eyebrow raised and his top lip sneering.

"The guy who tried to have me killed is the one telling _me_ to fuck off?"

"You know the score," Edgar said. "We get rid of Marko and you leave. I'm fed up. I don't want another fight. I'm tired and too many people have died. Leon, Bernice, Blake, Mrs Casey… _too many._ "

He clenched his jaw before sighing. With slumped shoulders and a hunched posture, he added: "Are you going to continue fighting and get revenge on me?"

For a moment, Edgar caught a frown on Alan's face before his brother looked away.

"I don't think I can," he muttered.

Edgar nodded sharply. "Then we never see each other again. We don't cross paths and we don't hunt each other. Get out of Santa Carla."

There were sirens in the distance. Red and blue flashes of light coming up the trail.

"It's over?" Edgar asked, looking between Logan and Alan.

Logan was the one to nod. "It's over."

"We'll go," Alan added.

There was a breeze and the echo of screeching. Logan and Ruby had disappeared from where they were standing. An illusion of teleportation when they had only moved too fast for the human eye to see. But Alan and Bridget stayed put. Staring glumly at Bonnie, Sam and Edgar. The connection was still hanging on. Not yet broken. The three of them were still important figures in their memories. Relationships that had yet to be buried deep into their minds.

Alan still frowned. Almost pained as his eyebrows furrowed. Edgar soaked in that expression into his memory. While he vowed to stay away, if he ever did accidentally come across his brother in the future, Alan may have completely forgotten him. He'd be just like the other vampires. Fuelled by bad memories and unable to remember what it was like to be human. Clueless of who he used to be and who he used to belong to.

Bridget chewed on her bottom lip, eyes glued on Bonnie. The two girls' eyes glistened. Their bodies tense but twitching on the spot, fighting to the urge to go and hug each other. They just couldn't. They were telling themselves that the other was on a different side.

"Sorry," Bridget mumbled to Bonnie.

"You're not really, but thanks anyway," Bonnie whispered. "Try not to come back."

The sirens grew louder and Alan took Bridget's hand. In the blink of an eye both had gone. And in the blink of an eye, Edgar had finally, and truly, lost everything. He stumbled on the spot, head dizzy and heart racing. Vehicles pulled to a halt and there was loud talking. Seconds later, he felt hands on his arms and he was being guided away. The face of a concerned police officer was in his view. Asking some question about being alright.

"No," Edgar whispered, shaking his head. "No, I'm not."


	26. Chapter 25

Ruby walked up to Logan as he looked down at the fire below. They had landed high in the mountains, overlooking the trail that led to Sam's house. They could hear the sirens; the frantic orders to each firefighter. Now and again they picked up on the police officer's questioning.

Somewhere in that house were the charred remains of Adam. There had always been that nagging loneliness of being taken away from his mother and sister. While the memories were hazy, finding it difficult to remember their faces, he knew he hadn't been the kind of human most vampires had been. His home life had been happy. There had been some relief knowing his father would be with him in his new, immortal life.

But now he really _had_ lost his family.

"Hey," Ruby nudged him. "I'm here. I'm not too bad at the role of annoying sister."

A small smile appeared on Logan's lips. "You _are_ still here."

"You helped me when I was at a low point in my life. Time for me to return the favour, kid brother."

Logan scoffed. " _I'm_ older than _you_."

"Yeah, but you look twelve and all baby faced. I can pass for older." She swung an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, we got him. Marko's dead."

The older vampire nodded before he turned to Bridget and Alan. They had both been quiet since parting from the humans. They sat against a tree, both poker-faced but Logan managed to catch thoughts from Alan about his brother. Small, almost regrettable ponderings while Bridget stared glumly into the distance.

"I guess we better leave," Logan said. "There's nothing left for us here."

"No," Alan said, standing.

"Huh?"

The new vampire shrugged. "I can't go back to being human. Neither of us can." He gestured between himself and Bridget. "That's fine. We made the kill and we'll accept we're vampires now because of it. But I don't think we're pack members. We're allies. And me and Bridget want to go our own way."

"But we were having fun!" Ruby protested.

"At turning us into something we originally hunted," Alan said.

"We don't do packs," Bridget added. "Especially ones that pretty much fucked up our lives. It's hard to forget that."

"Look, we're not asking for a fight. No more of that," Alan said. "Just let us go our own way and we stay as allies."

Logan was silent, eyebrows knitting together as he averted his eyes. Alan tensed up, waiting for yet another declaration of battle. With the way their luck had been going he was prepared to begin another war. Endure more fighting. He felt Bridget fold her arms and when he glanced at her she had that daring glint in her eyes. The one that dared an enemy to bring it on. If they were about to make enemies out of Logan and Ruby, Bridget looked ready to fight.

Instead, Logan sighed and raised his hands. "I liked you two. You could have been family."

Ruby had been pouting but now her smile was directed to Logan. "I did always like just the two of us. Alan has Adam's blood. He's part of the pack whether he's with us or not."

"Call us if you need help. That's fine," Alan insisted. He threw an arm around Bridget's shoulders. "But we want our own path. See what we could do."

"And what _are_ your plans?" Logan asked, grinning.

The couple glanced at each other, small smiles forming on their faces.

"Stay in the shadows. Find a new home," Alan said with a shrug. "We'll see."

"Get far away from here," Bridget added and Alan nodded in agreement.

"I guess it's good luck then," Logan said, nodding politely at the two vampires. He glanced at Ruby who beamed and linked arms with him. Her eyes flickered up to the sky which told him she was ready to fly off and find a new destination. Find some fun now that there weren't any rogue vampires to track down and kill.

"Don't be strangers," he added before flying up with Ruby to the sky. Bridget and Alan watched their figures shrink the further up they got. Soon their silhouettes had disappeared into the grey clouds and all that was left was the faint screeching as they flew away.

"So!" Bridget stepped away from Alan, gazing at the horizon before her. She spun on her heel, hands on her hips and flashed a wide grin at her boyfriend. Despite the sun coming up in an hour, she felt like she was buzzing. The energy from a fresh kill and extra blood from Blake continued to keep her feeling strong and more alive than she had felt in the last two weeks. She wanted to jump from tree top to tree top, fly as fast as she could. She could probably break a tree trunk in half with the power she felt coursing through her veins.

And then there was the beauty of the night sky. Twinkling stars and a waning moon peeking through the clouds. The moon was cast in a white, smoky aura while the stars shimmered, flickering away. This was something she could get easily used to. The senses. The connection to the night. For a time that was purely her world now, it was stunning.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Let's do shelter first, "Alan said, walking up to her. "The sun's nearly up and we need a place to sleep. Tomorrow, we'll get our things and head to the first destination we think of."

"Just us," she said, smiling. When he was close enough she reached out, loosely swinging her arms around his neck. Her eyes closed when he leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against hers as his arms went around her waist. It was exactly like the way they had danced at the Valentine's Day ball. The memory was still there. With Bridget by his side, he didn't think he could ever forget that memory. That exact moment when he saw her in a different way. That it couldn't just be friendship if being that close made his heart race the way it had back then.

"Are you okay with this?" he asked. "You're a vampire because of me. It wasn't what you wanted."

"It's scary," she admitted, opening her eyes to look at him. "You're really regretting that, aren't you?"

"It's all my fault."

"Remember what you said about moping? Forever's too long to be miserable. Thing is, even though I'm a vampire now, I've still got you. I've managed to keep one person that means a lot to me. I'm just glad I have that. We'll be okay, you know. Let's just take what we got and adapt to it."

He nodded, leaning away slightly so there was a small gap between them. He had fallen silent, a solemn look on his face that she frowned at. A worry crept into her. Was Alan actually alright with everything that happened? He had seemed so accepting of his nature but there was clearly that nagging voice inside of him that got him to question his recent actions.

"Are _you_ going to be alright?" she asked.

He smiled, wiping away any seriousness in his face. "I think I will be."

"I got your back, y'know," she added and reached up to peck his cheek. "We just need to look after each other."

"So we're doing this? Living as vampires."

"Call it our new adventure," she said.

"Challenge accepted, then," he whispered. His forehead was back against hers. Arms still tight around her waist. "Can I tell you something?"

Her head tilted to the side. "What?"

"I think I'm kinda falling in love with you," he said quietly, eyes darting to glance sideways.

She laughed. "Are you getting soppy on me?"

He cleared his throat. "No. Still tough." As if to prove his point, he straightened. His arms still stayed where they were but his lips were pressed tightly together. If he could blush, Bridget guessed he would have been turning a colour similar to beetroot right now. She kept her grin, laughing again, before reaching to turn his head so he looked at her.

"I think I'm falling in love with you too," she said, leaning to kiss him. He returned it immediately, almost too eagerly as he pressed against her to get as close as possible. He couldn't stop the small groan of protest when she pulled away. Too quickly after kissing him to begin with. But she jerked a thumb behind her and he looked past her. He could feel the drain of energy. The birds around them had woken up, beginning to chirp to greet the coming daytime.

"We need to get back to the house," she said.

He nodded, putting a distance between them. His movements felt sluggish. Another night was nearly over and they would have to wait until tomorrow to start their journey.

Silently, they both took to the air, flying back to DeCosta before the sun rose completely.

* * *

Edgar was alone in the house the next night. He had taken the day off from school. So had Bonnie and Sam. The three of them had been guided back home by the police, viewed as innocent victims in a terrible fire that some juvenile delinquents set. The bodies of the vampires had all turned to ashes luckily so according to the police, the young thugs were still out there somewhere. Another job for the Santa Carla police to take on but quickly forget about soon enough. Anything to avoid the paperwork.

His aunt and uncle were working, his uncle joined by his parents in the comic store. It was where Mr and Mrs Frog always seemed to be at the moment. Ever since Alan disappeared. They worked almost every shift, almost becoming two extra owners to his Uncle Gerry's business. It was good, at least, to see them working. Keeping busy.

However, he had been in a fire, nearly died and his parents insisted on working. That did sting a little. Even sober, they weren't being there and he could reluctantly feel the neglect Alan had always felt as a human. More than Edgar ever did.

 _Oh well,_ Edgar thought. _Not like I can't look after myself. Always been able to._

He sat flicking through the television channels. Switching from channel to channel, unable to decide on something to watch. Not even old reruns of Superman could make him stop searching and settle.

Since last night he had no energy whatsoever. From getting up he had collapsed on the armchair, grunting that he was fine and just tired whenever Aunt Pam or Uncle Gerry asked how he was. His body felt like it could wilt to the floor if he tried to get up. His head hurt from poor sleep and the events of last night. Mentally and physically he felt exhausted. Even when the doorbell rang a couple of times and he heard Bonnie's voice, he still never left the chair. Never responded. She must have realised he didn't want to speak to anyone or see anyone because she never persisted. Never returned.

He nibbled on some toast, the only thing he had the stomach for eating and paused when he heard a clatter upstairs. He glanced up, his skin turning to ice. His fist clenched and he leapt up, his gut telling him exactly who was upstairs.

"I told you to get the hell out of Santa Carla," he snapped. He kept his voice low, knowing the person upstairs would hear him. Just as he expected, footsteps came down the stairs and the door handle to the living room began to turn. It creaked open slowly before Alan peeked in.

"Just came for a few things."

"This isn't your house anymore. That room belongs to my brother who is dead to me." He inhaled in through his nose once before snapping: " _You're not invited here!_ "

"Never expected an invitation," Alan said, coming into the living room. Edgar clenched both his fists now. His brother's clothes were freshly stained with blood, still shiny and wet. He clamped his mouth shut to fight back a gag.

"You're a mess," Edgar muttered.

Alan glanced down, tugging at his white t-shirt. "Yeah, he was kinda fidgety."

"I don't wanna hear shit like that." Edgar glanced around although straight away he wondered why. None of his weapons were in the living room. They were all upstairs. But with the lack of energy he didn't care that he didn't have a stake for his brother. After everything, the thought of driving that weapon into his brother's heart brought a chill down his spine and he wanted to run to the toilet to throw up.

"Get your things and get out," Edgar whispered, staring down at the floor. He couldn't keep his eyes on his brother when blood stained his mouth and clothes.

"It was just a couple of comics and some clothes. We're getting ready to leave," Alan said.

Now Edgar looked back at him. "So you _are_ leaving. You and your new family." He sneered as he said the last few words, lips curling up in scorn as he thought about Alan completely abandoning him for those nightcrawlers.

"Logan and Ruby have already gone."

Edgar blinked. "Huh?"

"I'm not part of their pack. Me and Bridget are going our own way." He shrugged, throwing the strap of his rucksack over his shoulder. "I still remember. Being forced into turning. Drinking vampire blood. Even as a full vampire, I'm pretty pissed about it."

"Thought you enjoyed being a vampire."

"I a _ccept_ being a vampire."

"You once told me you were glad you killed."

"I'm angry at you," Alan snapped. His brown eyes flickered yellow but they reverted back to their normal colour. "You made me feel like I wanted to be like that. You made it well known to me that I'd failed and I was going to continue to fail. I needed my brother, Edgar. I felt abandoned by you."

He dipped his head. "I wanted to piss you off."

"You achieved it. I'm angry at you as well. I'm angry that you've left me. We were supposed to fight vampires together but you gave in."

"Guess we've disappointed each other," Alan said.

"One day I'll find you and kill you."

Alan scoffed, flashing a small smile that never reached his eyes. "No you won't."

"You think so?"

"You would have done so already if you could. I know you and I'm the same. I could never kill you."

Edgar looked down to see his fists trembling. His whole body shook, he realised, and he sank back into the armchair with a defeated slump in his shoulders. He leaned his weight forward, balancing his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together. Hair fell into his eyes and he sighed.

"Get out of here already. And stay out of my way," Edgar said.

Alan nodded, tightening his grasp on the strap. "Same to you." He turned, ready to leave but paused and looked back. "Edgar?"

" _What now?_ "

There was a brief silence that made Edgar glance up. He had to. For a second he felt fear inside as he wondered if Alan had purposely sent him into that vulnerable state. That it was all a sick vampire trick and he expected to see Alan fully fanged and ready to attack. But his brother's face remained human save for the blood and he still stood in the doorway, not making any twitch or move that he was going to come closer.

"I do miss what we had," he said before disappearing. All Edgar heard was a sharp gust of wind and the front door slamming shut. He was once again alone.

"Shit," he muttered, sitting back and staring up at the ceiling. A small tear trickled out from the corner of his eye, a salty bead running down his cheek. He wiped his face, sniffed once and gritted his teeth.

That was the only tear he was allowing.

Outside, Alan shook. That was his tie with his brother cut completely at last and now he had to find somewhere else. Somewhere in the night was the road that he and Bridget were ready to walk down on together.

Bridget sat on the porch of Bonnie's house. Her friend had agreed to come out and talk. She kept her distance, sitting away from Bridget but at the same time making no move to flee indoors. She grimaced when she saw the blood on Alan's shirt and face but he made no apology. He couldn't bring himself to say sorry about his appearance. He was hungry so he fed.

"I can't believe this is it," Bonnie murmured, picking at her nail polish. "What happened to us all?"

"We have to do this," Bridget said. "Soon we'll lose all our memories and you'll just be humans to us."

Bonnie nodded. "There's no way we'll all work together. I get it."

"We can't hunt our own kind. Marko was a different story entirely but it's our world now," Alan said.

"We don't _want_ to hunt our own kind," Bridget added.

Tears welled up in Bonnie's eyes. "Yeah, I know. I just…" She broke off as the tears dripped down her cheeks and she wiped them away with the sleeve of her jumper. "I loved you guys. You were my best friends. Everything's just been torn apart."

"I didn't want to die," Bridget said.

"I know. I get it. I was almost in that position," Bonnie said. "I just wish it never happened."

"At least Marko's gone for good," Alan said and Bonnie gave a little snort.

"Yeah. _One_ good thing at least."

"You glad?" Bridget asked.

Bonnie sighed. A long, slow sigh that escaped from her mouth and she cradled her head in her hands.

"It won't make up for anything. You're vampires. Bernice, Leon and my mom are dead. That won't change. But, he's not around anymore. Lurking or tormenting me." She closed her eyes. "I feel so free. I can get on with my life."

"Even with MS?"

Bonnie looked at Bridget. Her friend who talked to her and had come to say her goodbyes but who looked so poker-faced as well. Emotionless. She was pale in the night. Pale and unnaturally still, a predator ready to strike at any moment. She was full of life again. Life that was stolen but Bonnie would drive herself crazy thinking about that. Haunting herself with that notion if she pondered too much about it.

"I can deal with it. I _will_ deal with it," Bonnie said with a nod of determination.

"Just that –."

"I don't want to be a vampire," Bonnie interrupted. "You can't have it all, Bridget. You've chosen a side and I'm choosing mine."

"Okay," Bridget said, raising her hands. "You're right."

Bonnie nodded. "I'm always right. Now get out of here. The quicker you do, the quicker we can all move on and accept all the changes."

Neither girl made a move to hug. Bridget stood up, grabbing her rucksack and went to grasp Alan's hand. Bonnie watched their fingers intertwine, tightly holding onto each other.

"Look after each other," Bonnie said.

"Don't get into more fights with vampires," Bridget replied.

Her friend rolled her eyes. "I'm done with vampire hunting. And, for now, dating. I'm very much against dating." She tried to smile at her old friends. She could feel the corners of her lips tugging up but they kept faltering. "Goodbye."

Bridget and Alan said their goodbyes before they turned and headed down Bonnie's garden path. She watched the couple, walking down the street together, still hand in hand and talking to each other about where to go. What to do.

Bonnie let the tears flow again before she looked towards Edgar's house. He stood at his front door, slumped against the frame as he watched Alan and Bridget disappear down the dimly lit street, not once looking back. Bonnie frowned, watching the way Edgar pursed his lips together and tighten his fists, holding back emotions as he always did.

She stood up, trudging her way over to his house. He rolled his eyes as she came towards him, blotchy faced and sympathy shining in her eyes.

"I'm fine," he said with a grunt. "And stop crying, will you? They're vampires. The enemy."

"You can't forget a relationship like that. Bridget was our friend. Alan was your brother."

"They made their choices."

Bonnie shook her head. "You don't have to hold it in like that."

Slowly, he nodded. "Yes, I do."

She whispered his name, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him. He almost fell back at the force she threw herself, eyes widening at the sudden hug. Her face was buried in his neck. He could feel the tears from her eyes dampening his t-shirt and skin. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, clutching at him. Bonnie stood there, silent and holding onto him. Not making a move to let go of him, no matter how much he would protest.

He didn't though. But he didn't return the hug either. She did, however, feel his left arm rise up and she received a few pats on her the small of her back. The best she was going to get from him.


	27. Epilogue

**September 1988**

Sam rubbed his head as he finished yet another application. He had spent his free period in school finishing off another essay to college and now his head spun. He'd get his mom to check it through when he got home but at least that was another application done and dusted, ready to send off to the University of Arizona.

There wasn't really a set college he wanted. As long as he got accepted he didn't really care where it was. New York, back in Arizona or even Santa Carla would be nice because he would know Bonnie at least. He did however laugh at Michael's suggestion for the community college. Michael was being sincere when he said it would be nice for his little brother to be at the same place he was studying at. Sam thought it would cramp his style.

He rubbed his hand, sore and cramped from all the writing and carefully slipped his essay into his writing pad. He checked his watch. Only fifteen minutes left until he had English language and composition. He could get a quick break outside in the sun before he needed to attend class.

Even in September the sun was glorious. Students were scattered on the grass, lying back and enjoying the warmth. Sam found his own little spot, dumping his school bag and sitting down on the freshly cut grass. The rays were soothing on the skin he allowed himself to show, needing to hide away the burn scars down his right upper arm. A forever reminder of the battle with Marko six months back.

"You're not sitting by yourself!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Hey!" He beamed, standing up to hug her which she responded to. Her smile was wide and she looked fresh faced, proudly wearing a jumper that had University of Santa Carla written on the chest area.

"I had a break from lectures today. Thought I'd come pay a visit," she said, smiling as she sat down and brushed her hair out of her way. For college she had decided to experiment. Her bangs were forever there, still in her eyes but her hair was brighter. A vibrant orange that Sam knew she had been eager to try before the semester had started.

She tapped him on the shoulder. "You're not always sitting by yourself, are you?"

He laughed. "Nah, I just had a study break and needed air. College applications are already bringing the stress."

She nodded sympathetically. "Ye-ep. Been there. Done that. Somehow, _magically_ , actually got in! Where are you applying to?"

"Here in Santa Carla," he said which she beamed at. "Arizona. New York, Washington. Every college in California." He snorted, chuckling. "I'll accept anything and anywhere. I think I want to do journalism. I'm on the school newspaper team now and already it's been fun. And my composition class is pretty interesting. I kinda dig writing."

"Yeah?" She clapped her hands together. "Sam, that's great!"

"You figured out a major yet?"

"I think it'll definitely be theatre management. It's a great programme at the college. I'll never be on stage with MS but at least I can be in the background running things. Dad said he'll get me a lot of work experience too at the theatre."

"That's good news," Sam said.

"Right?" Bonnie nodded, her eyes shining with excitement. "And I also joined the theatre club. We dabble in everything. The guys have been pretty understanding about my MS so they're making sure the understudy rehearses just as much as I do. But at least I get to do a bit of acting in college before things get bad and also get to do a lot of backstage work there. I'm assistant stage management for our next musical. We're doing Grease! Ah, I'm so freaking excited!"

She talked fast, hands moving around as she spoke and her eyes widened to the point where they looked about to bulge out of her sockets. When she finished she took a deep breath and sat there with a grin on her face, still bouncing up and down as she sat.

Sam laughed. "You sound busy already. What's the play you're acting in?"

"A modern telling of Macbeth. I'm one of the witches. Although we're sort of making them look like prostitutes."

Sam snorted. "That sounds interesting."

"I'm not sure if I'd want you to see that," Bonnie said, frowning. "My costume's pretty slutty."

"That wasn't the right time to walk into the conversation," Edgar said behind them. His eyebrow raised at Bonnie who giggled.

"My costume for Macbeth," she said. "We're modernising it."

"Ah. Sounds terrible," he said, sitting down with them.

"It's actually pretty interesting and cool. And I'm a damn good prostitute witch FYI," she said, flicking her hair back over her shoulders.

"This is an honour. Visits from the both of you on the same day," Sam said. He had leaned back on his elbows, grinning at his two friends.

"I came to say goodbye," Edgar said and his friends' faces fell.

"You're actually doing this?" Sam asked, straightening up.

"Oh, Edgar!" Bonnie cried out. "But you have the shop. Uncle Gerry said he'll train you to take it over someday."

"Someday," Edgar reminded her. "Not now. And it's not permanent. Just for a year or so." He sighed. "I need to get out there."

"You're not chasing Alan and Bridget are you?" Bonnie asked, grabbing his arm.

"No," he said, smiling slightly. "I just need to go out there and hunt. Get back into it."

"You're already back into it," Sam said. "You've been nonstop since last March."

Edgar shrugged, feeling Bonnie's hand on his arm turn into a pat.

"You feel you need to go and save more people."

"If I go and travel around, I can save more towns. More people. Then maybe I can redeem myself."

"You don't have to redeem yourself," Bonnie told him.

"I think it'll help me," Edgar admitted. "I'll come back. I promise."

"Make sure you do," Bonnie said and leaned across to kiss his cheek, laughing at the protest he made.

"You mind not doing that?" he grumbled, ducking his head.

"I'll miss you, bud," Sam said as the three stood up. He extended his hand, smiling when Edgar grasped it and they shook once. Edgar gave a determined nod at his friend and, again, showed that small smile of his.

"I'll miss you guys too," he said and glanced at Bonnie. "Well, I'll stay in touch."

"Good. Be safe. And kill lots of vampires," she said.

Edgar nodded. "Bye, guys."

"Aw," Bonnie said, placing her hands on her hips as Edgar picked up his bags and walked off the campus. "I hope he's going to be alright."

"We'll kill him if he gets himself into unnecessary trouble," Sam said and Bonnie grinned.

"True, true. I'll let you get to class. Wanna hang out later tonight? Go to the movies?"

"Yeah, sounds good," he said and pulled her in for a hug. "Call me after school."

"Sammy! We have composition now!" Imogen called. She had returned to campus after using her study period to go and purchase a smoothie from the bar opposite school. She waved, smiling widely at Bonnie while Bobby nodded to them politely.

"I'm still not used to them being friendly," Bonnie said, waving back. "Call you later, Sam."

"Did we miss a visit?" Imogen asked when Sam joined them.

"Bonnie was a quick hello. And Edgar came to say goodbye."

"Aw. Is he really going to travel?"

"Yeah," Sam said with a sigh. "Think it's something he has to do."

"Still feeling guilty, huh?" Bobby asked.

"I think he always will," Sam said. "But this will help remind him he can still save people."

"Poor Edgar," Imogen whispered.

They walked through the halls, making their way to class. Imogen quickly drank the rest of her smoothie, wrinkling her nose from the cold but determined to finish it before class to avoid a scolding. On the way they went right into the crowds of students who came out of the classrooms like flocks into the hallways. Sam was forced into walking sideways, trying to carefully dodge other students. One freshman, a short boy, accidentally knocked into Bobby. The jock swore as the boy crashed into his side and turned to the freshman who stood, wide eyed at the tall senior, forgetting that his ridiculously tall stack of books had all fallen to the floor.

"Will you watch it?" Bobby asked, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He received a small jab from Imogen who glared at him when he turned around. His face softened, sighing as he looked back at the boy. He was short for a freshman, dark haired and brown eyed. Scrawny. Just like a boy he used to know. And bully.

"I'm – I'm sorry," the boy whispered.

"Just be careful, shorty. Don't let 'em push you around. Some jerks here won't be as cool about it," Bobby said and bent to pick up the books for him. The young student gawped at the gesture, mumbling a thanks before scampering off into the crowds. He turned back to Imogen and Sam who beamed at him.

"I'd say he's very well trained now," Imogen declared with a proud smile and reached up to kiss her boyfriend's cheek.

"Knowing my luck, that kid would become a vampire and hunt me down personally for being a dick," Bobby said.

"And also because we don't want to be known as the asshole couple of the school," Imogen added. "It's the right thing to do."

"You also want to get lots of votes for being nice and become Prom Queen," Sam reminded her and she waved a hand.

"That's bound to happen anyway," she said, winking at him. "I'm very well-known and liked."

* * *

Edgar sat at the back of the coach, head down as he read the Santa Carla Sentinel. He figured the best place to start was the area with mysterious disappearances or killings. If other vampires like David's pack were too stupid to not move around as much, there were bound to be other places full of disappearances, just like the ones in Santa Carla.

Since killing Marko and the rest of his pawns, the number of disappearances and killings had decreased in his hometown. Crime was still an issue. It was always going to be. With such a lax police department, even human criminals were going to take advantage. Santa Carla was a town that was only going to get worse and eventually be what he imagined hell to be like. Chaotic and full of the bad guys.

One article got his attention.

 _Fifth Mysterious Death in A Week._

 _Bingo,_ Edgar thought and read more of the article. The occurrences were in Portland, Oregon. In a week, five people had been found dead. Throats slashed with a lot of blood loss. The killings seemed random. Not one victim had links to each other. But all found with their throat slashed.

 _Sloppy if that's a vampire. Even if they are making it look like their throats were slashed to hide the bites._

It was worth looking into. Only five dead meant it was probably one vampire. A pack would produce more deaths than that. Or be more likely to properly hide the bodies. In that case, lots of strange disappearances. For his first job, one vampire was the perfect start to his redemption.

 _Portland it is,_ he thought and folded the newspaper up.

His plan formed in his head. Go to Portland, investigate more and if it was a vampire, stake them. Job done. Lives saved. They wouldn't be the lives he wished he could have saved but it was something.

This was his chance to become a hero again.

End.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed! :) Please feel free to leave a review and thank you so much for reading!**

 **It's also weird as hell not writing when the next update is. =P**


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